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Ticks may be the next global health threat

164 points by yawz 9y ago

ncr100 9y ago
Quick story for 10 years of friend's Doctor visits which did not diagnose a Lyme infection - insufficient CDC guidelines: Friend has had increasingly difficult health problems - mistook for thyroid issues - neurological issues (difficulty standing), thinning, pain, very scary stuff. Lyme swelling around nerves in brain, I believe was the explanation. Could not work. Finally diagnosed and undergoing months of traumatic antibiotic treatments involving a "heart port" :P is improving now, back working. Tick bite in New York.
- Grazester 9y ago
  As someone who lives in the North East and loves the outdoors, hearing stories like this scares me.
- stinos 9y ago
  mistook for thyroid issues -- Tick bite in New York Unfortunately it wasn't, but this should have been a major warning sign. There's still a lot of education to do. Almost the number one thing related to ticks I was taught by people from nature organisations is: if you know you had a tick bite, and you feel anything seriously out of order (of which the chances are still fairly small btw), check with a doctor; and if that doctor does not come up with anything tick-related (which happens, 10 years ago I also thought Lyme disease was the only bad thing which was spread by ticks), then get a second opinion from a doctor who has experience with most cases occurring in your area.
- magic_beans 9y ago
  In your friend's situation, did he or she not notice the tick? Or is it just that the Doctor didn't correlate the tick bite to Lyme?
- technofiend 9y ago
  I have an aunt on disability after a false negative for Lyme left her searching for answers over a decade. She has heart damage, blood pressure and cognitive issues. It was devastating.
notacoward 9y ago
"May be"? "Next"? Where have these guys been the last several years? I'd say under a rock, but ticks might be there too. Out in space, perhaps?
megaman22 9y ago
Nasty, nasty things. They've really exploded in the past ten years or so in New England. When I was a kid, you never had to worry about checking for ticks when you went outside and roamed around - you'd get chewed to death by blackflies, mosquitos and copperheads, but that's relatively harmless. Last summer, one incident I had to pull a couple hundred off my dog after she wandered into a particularly bad section of the willowwacks. Just awful little beasties.
- Steve44 9y ago
  I read an article in New Scientist a year or two ago about these. They were talking about counting the acorns on the ground as a predictor as to Lyme disease in two years time. Quite an interesting article overall. I read the physical magazine but think that https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg23431195-800-lyme-disease-is-set-to-explode-and-you-cant-protect-yourself/ https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg23431195-800-lyme-dis... is the same article.
pubby 9y ago
Always check for ticks after spending time outdoors in the summer. Here's a tip: if you have body hair, use your hands to check in addition to your eyes. It's easier to feel them than it is to see them.
- wirrbel 9y ago
  My personal experience is: After spending time outdoors, get a shower and a complete clothes change. They often don't bite right away but crawl around for some time until they find a spot they "like". Also, the lore that was told in my family was, that ticks dropped from trees in the forest. But you can get them also from gras, hedges, bushes. So not being in the wood is no protection against ticks.
  - toss1 9y ago
    Yes, they will definitely keep climbing on you until they find a 'good spot'. The bite is also usually painless, so they can often hang on unnoticed for hours or days (iirc, they inject a numbing agent, as getting noticed kind of ends their life cycle). I read an article that described their basic algorithm as climb to the top of whatever they are on, blade of grass, shrub branch, etc., and just hang out there waving their arms until something brushes by and they snag it, then climb again until they find a good spot. In New England, I've had to get in the habit of immediately dropping the clothes in the wash, showering, and then diligently checking the whole body for tics after a run, mtn bike, or hike. And I still occasionally find one hours later. The good thing is that they don't really inject the disease until they've been attached and biting for 24 hours or so and are mostly engorged. Definitely a hazard to be diligent about! [edt: spelling]
    - tszyn 9y ago
      In your experience, can a tick attach to you if you just brush against it while moving fast (running or cycling)? They're rather slow-moving, so I thought they can't latch onto you that quickly.
      - 9y ago
whiddershins 9y ago
Ticks are awful. I used to be completely unconcerned by them as a kid, and have a knack for removing them without breaking, but after having a number of family members and pets affected by Lymes I am super careful. The random tangent about deforestation and global warming seems ideological to me. Ticks aren’t being forced into contact with us, they want to be wherever they can be. If anything my guess would there’s a problem with lack of predators, like a reduction in possums or something similar.
- freehunter 9y ago
  It's really strange... I grew up on a farm and remember running through the fallow fields barefoot with shorts on all summer, but the first time I actually saw a tick was in my mid-20s after I had moved to the city and took a walk through the local park. Since then I've found at least one tick on me every summer. I don't know if I just got lucky in my youth or if ticks are getting worse, but it's something that's stood out to me as curious.
  - Numberwang 9y ago
    I've had similar experiences plus I've ran 1000s of Orienteering races through Swedish forests and fields. Never a single tick. Might be they only go after certain people.
    - petre 9y ago
      I imagine Sweeden is quite cold, more sparsely populated and you probably haven't destroyed so many forests/wildlife as other countries.
      - simonsarris 9y ago
        > and you probably haven't destroyed so many forests/wildlife as other countries. What does this have to do with it? New Hampshire is much more forested than it was 200 years ago. The last two years there have been WAY, WAY more ticks than in the years of my childhood. It's a mini crisis here and is completely unrelated to forest destruction or lack thereof.
drewcon 9y ago
If you do get bit. Get your tick tested. https://www.tickreport.com https://www.tickreport.com I’m from Massachusetts and spend a lot of time on Nantucket, which is like ground zero for Lyme (lots of deer, no predators). A service like this can really give you peace of mind if you do get bit. Also worth noting, a tick bite is not like a snake bite. It’s not really like being instantly injected with a venom or a foreign pathogen. From what I understand (after I got bit and looked it up) the tick really needs to be dug in for about 24-48 hours to cause a problem. So it’s more like the tick is giving you an infection, and in the course of that passing on these terrible diseases (sometimes).
- kejaed 9y ago
  One thing to note about getting ticks tested is that your local health authority might provide no-cost tick testing. This is the case here in Ottawa: http://www.ottawapublichealth.ca/en/public-health-topics/lyme-disease.aspx#tested http://www.ottawapublichealth.ca/en/public-health-topics/lym... Unfortunately we know all about this because our dog got bit, got Lyme disease (even though she was on the preventative medications), then developed a rare complication (heart condition). It's really made going out on the trails a less fun experience when worrying about ticks.
- mantas 9y ago
  At least in my whereabouts, tick testing is no longer used. They said chance of false negative is too high. On top of that, bad tick doesn't mean you're infected. Two stages blood test is only fool proof way to test for Lyme. Can confirm that ticks need time to give you Lyme. I've had Lyme twice. Both times I missed a tick on initial check and found it a day later. I get bitten few times a year and every time I find them on time all is good.
  - mrec 9y ago
    Do you build up any kind of immunity after repeated exposure?
    - eric_h 9y ago
Dowwie 9y ago
If CRISPR can be used to eradicate malaria-carrying mosquitoes, then maybe it will help to eradicate ticks
- bequanna 9y ago
  Assuming we could do this, what would be the downside to eradicating all ticks?
  - abledon 9y ago
    Read on my friend : https://mobile.nytimes.com/2012/05/29/science/would-eradicating-deer-ticks-hurt-the-ecosystem.html?referer=https://www.google.ca/ https://mobile.nytimes.com/2012/05/29/science/would-eradicat... “ Diseases like these weed out sick or infirm individuals in the host population” “Taken with other factors, like predation, “it might keep host populations within the carrying capacity of the land,” he said, possibly by reducing overgrazing and other forms of destruction to vegetation.”
jschwartzi 9y ago
Ticks and mosquitos are why I spray my hiking clothes with permethrin. It's a potent contact neurotoxin for both. It takes a little bit to act after exposure, but ticks will die quickly. Mosquitoes will also fly away and die after contacting my clothes. It's derived from a chemical found in Chrysanthemums. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permethrin https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permethrin
- radiorental 9y ago
  we make Permethrin 'tick tubes' for our yard. In a nutshell, it's bedding for mice laced with permethrin. Ticks attach to the mice during the mice breeding cycles in March and July here in New England. https://organicdailypost.com/make-tick-tubes/ https://organicdailypost.com/make-tick-tubes/ I'm out in the yard a lot, I pull ticks off daily. I fortunately never have had Lymes but I noted (anecdotally) that the tick population has exploded in the last 10 years with the milder winters. It's concerning. Probably going to get a flock of guinea hens this year.
  - abakker 9y ago
    Get your whole yard sprayed, too. It does make a difference if you do it a few times. As other commenters here, and I, can attest, it just isn't worth getting a bite. Lyme is awful.
    - stinos 9y ago
      Get your whole yard sprayed, too Problem with this is Permethrin is quite a broad-spectrum insecticide and won't kill just ticks but also a lot of other insects (which take care of e.g. pollination and in turn are food for others, etc, the usual picture) and is also not exactly friendly for aquatic life. Also mammals are not completely out of the danger zone, depending on dose. And longer term effects are as far as I know simply unknown. So it needs at least some careful consideration in my opinion.
    - radiorental 9y ago
      I keep bees, so that ain't happening.
mmjaa 9y ago
Had to go through a Lyme treatment last year myself.. it was not fun. The antibiotics regime was easily one of the lowest points in my life - just felt terrible for weeks. The thing I was taught by this experience, is to never, ever screw around with it. In my case I was attacked by a swarm of ticks during a hot period (Vienna, Austria) and I kind of ignored the bites .. thought nothing of them after discovering the ticks (2) and removing them .. but after 2 days, I had 4 red splotches over my body, and it was clear that I had the characteristic 'bullseye' symptoms. Thought "okay, I can live through this" and didn't do anything about it for about 5 - 6 weeks; splotches went away, and I thought I was fine. No. Just, no. I was not fine. Aches and pains like none I've experienced before (being Australian, I've had a few nasty bites in my life), and malaise and lethargy that was seriously affecting my ability to live life. Doctor told me I was an idiot for not coming in right away - that I could very well have done damage to my brain - and was put on a super strong antibiotics regimen .. which was pain itself, since it screwed with everything. Anyway, had my blood tests, and they think I'm fine. But I have to go back in a month for another round of tests - because even if you think you're fine, after Lyme, you may not be fine for a few years. It can persist in the human body. So, don't be a fool like me: if you get a tick, go immediately to the doctor and get it sorted. Trust me the symptoms are just awful.
- radiorental 9y ago
  We have a vaccine for it, but for various regulatory & market reasons it's no longer available https://www.historyofvaccines.org/content/articles/history-lyme-disease-vaccine https://www.historyofvaccines.org/content/articles/history-l...
  - eric_h 9y ago
    I received a shot of the vaccine when it was available. Unfortunately the projected longevity of the immunity conferred was only 3-5 years. By the time that period had passed for me the vaccine was no longer available.
  - fludlight 9y ago
    > There is no evidence to suggest that the Lyme disease vaccine ever caused Lyme arthritis, but it was taken off the market largely in response to lawsuits alleging exactly that.
Grangar 9y ago
When you find a tick, make sure to take the necessary precautions. I know someone who could've carried it with him for as much as 72 hours before discovery, and who didn't go to the doctor. He ended up with lyme. Whereas if he had gotten antibiotics right after he'd probably have been okay.
- bitexploder 9y ago
  It is also important to note that removing ticks quickly reduces the chances of contracting Lyme Disease. This means having a good and thorough tick check routine when outdoors is important. It is annoying after a long day of hiking or what not, but very important.
tetromino_ 9y ago
Lyme disease is unpleasant, but at least North America doesn't have Russia's tick-borne encephalitis, which kills or causes permanent neurological damage. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tick-borne_encephalitis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tick-borne_encephalitis
- Nr7 9y ago
  Luckily there is a vaccine for this
- pmoriarty 9y ago
  Lyme disease can also kill and cause neurological damage.
- Fomite 9y ago
  Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever has case fatality rates well above 50%, can cause multi-organ system failure, and has a 20% hospitalization rate even when treated. It's transmitted in many of the same places Lyme is.
drewcon 9y ago
Hopefully we’ll get a Lyme vaccine pretty soon. http://www.newsweek.com/lyme-disease-vaccine-valneva-fda-approva-641796 http://www.newsweek.com/lyme-disease-vaccine-valneva-fda-app... Back story on why a vaccine existed years ago ...and then was shelved because of anti-vax outrage is absolutely enraging for people who live in Lyme territory. http://legacy.wbur.org/2012/06/27/lyme-vaccine http://legacy.wbur.org/2012/06/27/lyme-vaccine
- ghaff 9y ago
  The withdrawal was unfortunate IMO. But it's not as simple as "anti-vax outrage." Efficacy wasn't great, vaccination only protected for a few years, and there were questions about side effects especially over the long term. [1] Especially given how Lyme has become such a problem in some areas, it's too bad it was withdrawn, but it's not a black and white case. [1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2870557/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2870557/
baxtr 9y ago
Ticks are widespread in Central Europe, but if you are cautious things are usually safe: wear long pants if you are in the woods, especially in summertime. No Flip flops. After you come home, check your entire body for ticks, it takes up to 24h to get Lyme. Have a tick card on you all the time, one like this: https://www.amazon.de/Zeckenkarte-mit-Lupe-Kurzbeschreibung-H%C3%BClle/dp/B003E0F422 https://www.amazon.de/Zeckenkarte-mit-Lupe-Kurzbeschreibung-...
- randlet 9y ago
  Thanks for pointing out tick cards to me. For those in Canada MEC has one [1] which is half the price of the same card on Amazon. [1] https://www.mec.ca/en/product/5050-423/Tick-Remover-Card https://www.mec.ca/en/product/5050-423/Tick-Remover-Card
alex_duf 9y ago
Interestingly enough it seems to be poorly recognised in France. (according to my personal experience, would love to hear more feedback) I have two members of my family fighting to get diagnostic even though they both got bitten where here in the UK it doesn't seem to be a problem at all.
- bsaul 9y ago
  After reading this comment thread, i can attest that it's clearly not known enough in france indeed. From what i've read before (because i knew about Lyme), the only region affected by Lyme is nord-east of the country. We get tick bites whenever we go to south of France with my family, but so far nobody every got anything looking like Lyme.
kolanos 9y ago
Global threat? Not exactly. You know where there aren't any ticks? The desert. No fleas or bed bugs, either.
SEJeff 9y ago
Perhaps we need more opossums (in north america at least). One of those suckers can eat 5000 ticks in a year. http://www.caryinstitute.org/newsroom/opossums-killers-ticks http://www.caryinstitute.org/newsroom/opossums-killers-ticks
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anonymous_in_TX 9y ago
One of the side effects of the fire ant problem in Texas is that they have significantly reduced the tick population. I have heard more than one person mention how they no longer find ticks after having been out in the woods, fields, etc. Here is a page that talks about fire ants and some quotes: https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston/beneficials/beneficial-56(partial)_red_imported_fire_ant.htm https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston/beneficials/be... "Fire ants voraciously consume populations of fleas, ticks, termites, cockroaches, chinch bugs, mosquito eggs and larva, scorpions, etc.—after learning this, I realize that it really has been years since I last set off a flea bomb. A non-overstated culinary creed for fire ants could be the following: If it will stay still for a bit . . . then it's dinner!" "Although fire ants are a big challenge to keep under control, one of the benefits of having the fire ants around (at least in East Texas) is that they kill ticks. If you have ever spent any time in the Piney Woods of East Texas, you understand how valuable that can be to you, your dogs and your livestock."
piokoch 9y ago
I have gone through the article, suprisingly, there was no data to backup claim that "the ticks are comming". Is that a real threat or just a mere speculation? I couldn't find the name of the author of the article, just to make sure it is someone who knows something about health problems. Lack of data plus IStock photos suggest that the research behind the article might not have been very thorough. For instance it would be interesting to learn what persentage of ticks carries bacteria dangerous for people, how the number of people infected was changing over the past years, etc.
- ravenstine 9y ago
  It's been a while since swine flu and africanized honeybees. They need a new threat!
- deleted 9y ago
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baud147258 9y ago
One summer, during an outing, I remember trying to remove a tick with tweezers, leaving the head in and having to use a pen knife to remove it. At the time I did not (or ignored) about Lyme disease, so in my mind it do not warranted a trip to the doctor. Reading all the comments on this thread make me glad I don't spend as much time as before in place where ticks are present.
akor 9y ago
Happy to not have Lymes but I'm on year 3 of being allergic to meat that comes from hoofed animals (alpha-gal) because of a tick bite. I go out a lot less now but when I do I also use Permethrin.
- mrcoles 9y ago
  Sorry to hear—my sister is in the same boat with alpha-gal from a lone star tick. It seems that very few people are aware of it.
- owenversteeg 9y ago
  Wow, I've heard about meat allergies from ticks but I didn't realize they were common enough for 2 people on HN to have them. Permethrin really is amazing, isn't it?
goda90 9y ago
I spent a couple of years in Chile in some poorer parts of Santiago and I saw lots of ticks on lots of street dogs. I was outside much of the day and yet I never got a tick. I kind of wonder if the dogs being a plentiful and easy target resulted in the ticks just not trying with humans.
ben7799 9y ago
The article is somewhat alarmist, behavior modification can greatly limit the risk of ticks. This might be something that is more alarming in the UK for some reason if they haven't had to worry about it so far? I live in Massachusetts, pretty close to ground central for Lyme's disease. I've been mountain biking, hiking, doing outdoor photography, etc.. most of my life and have never managed to get bit by a tick and contract it. I've found 5 ticks or so in that time have always found them before they could bite me just because I was aware of the risk. And that's talking hundreds of days per year of outdoor activities. Tall grass is high risk. Taking your sweet time golfing is risky. Riding your mountain bike through grass at 20mph is much less risky. You'd tend to be riding on a trail too, even if it's not more than 6" wide, it still somewhat reduces the surface for the ticks to cling to. Having a job like being a surveyor is very high risk since they're out in the grass working and not moving quickly. Once you get under major tree cover (we have lots of it) the undergrowth tends to thin out and you'll contact less grass/leaves and have less exposure to ticks grabbing onto you. This is perhaps one of the reasons you hear a lot about people getting Ticks down on Cape Code if they're exploring tall grass environments, there is less dense tree cover on the Cape compared to the mainland. By far the riskiest thing anecdotally seems to be owning a dog. Dogs love to go walk through the high grass, ticks love to grab onto their fur. Then they bring the ticks into your car, into your house, sit on your lap. When you walk your dog you tend to go where the dog wants to go within reason. And you're walking, so you're moving at speeds ticks are happy with. So you're perhaps walking areas you wouldn't walk alone if you're wary of ticks. It seems like practically every dog owner I know regularly deals with ticks brought in by dogs, and a lot of the dog owners have actually gotten Lyme's disease, some more than once! You'll hear stories of 10 ticks on a dog coming back from a walk. If I guess I've found 5 on me in 25 years of outdoor activities 1 was biking in/around tall grass on Cape Cod (found it on my leg), 1 was walking in North Carolina (found it on my sock), 1 was brought into the house by a dog (the only deer tick of the 5). Not sure of the others, maybe 5 is generous. The article also doesn't mention how certain activities can be done in different months to limit risk. Particularly deer tick are much harder to spot if you are out in risky areas in the early spring. They're super small at that point. But later in the summer they're grown and easy to spot. For me that super high risk deer tick season where they are immature coincides with mud season. We are already discouraged from hiking & biking through the mud, so the double whammy of peak tick season + mud season makes it easy to select outdoor activities that are lower risk at that time of year. It's just really hard to take the article seriously, this just is not going to be a risk for people who live in big cities and spend little time in natural environments, particularly if they also don't have pets. That covers a lot of the population.
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assclown 9y ago
why not just tuck your pants into your socks, and no more ticks. or you could use Eucalyptus in the shower and no more ticks. WTF are you talking about the next global health threat. Like wearing a condom protect your self and buy some eucalyptus ticks hate that and lemon oil works better than deet and all natural non toxic.
rukittenme 9y ago
I'm reading the comments about people spraying their yards for ticks and I'm astonished. I've been bit by hundreds of ticks throughout my life. My wife has never been bit and has a terrible fear of them. But for me it was just growing up in the woods. You went out and when you got back you pulled a few off your ankles and back. Now that I live in suburbia its much rarer but even when it does happen I just remove the tick and move on. I've never thought to seek medical treatment for it.
- v-erne 9y ago
  I have hard time guessing if You are serious or just trolling. Lyme disease is no joke. It can destroy Your life. And first real symptoms often comes when damages done to nervous system are irreversible. My father had it and and lost ability to concentrate when reading text longer than one page. Son of my uncle almost died from it when he was 18. Even if You think You are healthy, You should test Yourself.
  - rukittenme 9y ago
    I know I'm healthy. There have been 420 confirmed cases of Lyme disease in Tennessee over the past 15 years. One person for every 250,000 will get infected in a given year. And even then, those people will only get infected if they leave the tick on themselves for 48 hours. Shower once daily and you're fine. But let's pretend the tick is infected and the tick feeds for 48 hours. Take some antibiotics and you're fine. Lyme disease is stupidly easy to treat. And no it does not come upon you suddenly. There's a huge rash that covers the infected area. I'm sorry for what happened to your father and uncle's son. Truly, I am. More awareness should be raised about Lyme disease. You don't need to fear it or spray your yards. If you see the rash go to a doctor.
    - v-erne 9y ago
      It seems that Your country's ticks are way better than mine. I would gladly swap. According to my countrys newspapers (Im from Poland) there were at least 10000 confirmed cases of lyme last year. The main reason is that almost 40 percent of ticks here is infected. And the rash is optional. You can contract the disease and have first sympthoms after 10 years. But this is rather rare.
wizardforhire 9y ago
When I was 9 my mom got bit by a tick. Her mother had just died and she had just been divorced. She got Lyme disease was in excruciating pain and bed ridden for almost a year. She gained at least 100 pounds. I have very distinct memories of going into her room to just be with my mom and she would just be lying there in excruciating pain. As a kid I didn't really understand it and couldn't understand why she never wanted to do anything. Before she was very engaged and that year she just disappeared. Last year I was driving with my girl friend on a road trip. We stopped at a scenic view and picked some wild flowers. About an hour later I felt something crawling in my beard, discovered a tick before it bit thankfully but it got lost in the floor. I calmly told my girlfriend we have to stop it's an emergency. We promptly pulled over at the next exit and scoured that car and found the tick. Of course it was a spotted dear tick. We took a 30 minute breather and reflected on mortality. Really really scary! I was fortunate to have sensed it and found it before anything happened. So yeah ticks... It only takes one bite. That tick in very high likelyhood is carrying Lyme disease and that one bite will destroy your life. Worst of all... You probably won't even know it's there before it's too late.
matmo 9y ago
For the uninformed, what's the proper way to remove a tick these days? When I was younger I heard advice to put a flame or extinguished match near the tick until it unlatches, but I've also heard that that's a bad idea because it causes them to emit some irritant into your body or something to that effect. What's the correct way?
- spacehome 9y ago
  That's terrible advice. The flame will cause the tick to unlatch, but it can also cause it to vomit, giving you any pathogens it's carrying. The correct way is to take tweezers, side on grasping the top and bottom of the head and pull gently straight up (perpendicularly from the surface of your skin). Be patient. Taking a few minutes to do it right is better than rushing; you have about 24 hours before any significant risk of infection. Make sure you identify the head first and grasp that, as sometimes the head is buried. If you grab the body, you'll just decapitate the tick by pulling.
matt_s 9y ago
How is this hacker news?
fian 9y ago
While the article is focused on transfer of various pathogens from ticks to humans, there is also a risk of developing and allergy to mammalian meat: http://www.mydr.com.au/allergy/mammalian-meat-allergy http://www.mydr.com.au/allergy/mammalian-meat-allergy There is evidence of similar allergies occurring in the US and Europe due to tick bite. So it is very important that you remove a tick carefully to minimise the potential for the tick to vomit. Permethrin creams (used to treat scabies) can be used for small/juvenile ticks.
midwest1990 9y ago
I am currently going through Lyme & Bartonella treatment from a tick bite in northern Michigan last summer. I've been to multiple doctors, had multiple blood panels and blood tests(Lyme, Bartonella, Babesia, Erlichia, etc). I wanted to share what I've learned in hopes that it helps others. This is what I've learned (it's kind of lengthy): - Lyme exists everywhere on Earth as delivered by avian/mice/tick/deer/animal populations and it is adept at survival in many hosts for a long time. These tick bacteria are very adept at subverting portions of a hosts immune system to maintain their existence in the host. Healthier or adapted hosts can clear the bacteria, in all forms, easier that immuno compromised hosts. - Ticks can transmit Lyme within 10 minutes of feeding depending on the blood circulation from the host and saliva transmit rates. Co-infections like Bartonella (24+ strains), Babesia, Erlichia happen in a very large percentage of bites. The 'bullseye rash' may or may not appear depending on Lyme strain, the host immune system, and how the two interact. - Lyme feeds on collagen is ubiquitous in the body, that is why symptoms can occur everywhere and sporadically depending on immune response (local and systemic). Lyme uses Manganese to facilitate it's "feeding process" (Stanford has a in-vitro study on Claritin which disrupts Manganese in this mechanism). I've had brain fog, slight dizziness, eye film, tendon inflammation (ankles/elbows/hands), sore neck/shoulders, streaked rashes (bartonella), all sporadic. - 6 weeks after tick bite, I successfully diagnosed myself with Lyme and Bartonella. This took 3+ months for a handful of doctors and blood tests before doctors agreed. (Listen to your body, but don't go nuts and overexagerate ;-). See below - A dermatologist prescribed 1 200 mg 1 week after my tick bite roughly following CDC guidelines (useless). ~17 days after tick bite a 100 fever with severe achilles tendon inflammation (painful almost ruptured). Started 3 week Doxycycline 100 mg (2x day) from Urgent care doctor. ELISA, Western Blot IgG, IgM both negative (summary only, no antibody blots provided). Some brain fog improvement on Doxycycline. 2 week flares of my achilles tendon issues while on Doxycycline. Doxycycline extended to 5 weeks with no improvement. My primary care doctor said 3 weeks cleared it up, remaining symptoms were from something else (I dropped that dr). Next internist did more blood tests and suspected something. Out of pocket Igenex (out of pocket) test at 2 months indicate negative Lyme, with trace amounts of 3 Lyme specific antibody stains and 1 antibody shared with chlamydia. Infectious Disease doctor at 2 month mark said I was cured and that they would only treat symptoms caused by unknown with rheumatologist and neurologist with pharmaceuticals. Infectious Disease dr ignored my Bartonella claim due to ankle tendon pain and a week later ignored my email photo of Bartonella specific rash. I timed another set of Bartonella tests with my primary care (new) at 3 months and a peak in my symptom cycle. An insurance covered PCR (dna) test was negative while out of pocket Igenex Bartonella FISH (antigen) test that I found and asked the doctor to submit, was positive from blood samples taken that time/arm. My primary care y is striving to learn more about Lyme now and admitted the CDC was incorrect. I started acupuncture and Chinese medicine 3+ months in and it makes a difference. I finally saw a Lyme doctor 4+ months after the bite (I was on the waiting list for 2 months), I am getting additional western herbal treatment in combination with Chinese herbals. Things are improving but I get occassional spikes in symptoms (all over), which is usually what people are hampered by during treatment (antibiotics and/or herbal). Sadly, my case history is less severe compared to many. - Lyme testing (antibody/dna/antigen) via blood is problematic because the bacteria prefers to feed on collagen tissue and is rarely hanging out in the blood flow. The CDC, per Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA), recommends a garbage test first (ELISA - inconsistent results from same blood draw). The Western Blot results are often summarized instead of displaying entire results (it ignores Lyme specific antibodies related to defunct vaccination that almost nobody received). USE Igenex (Palo Alto), Galaxy Labs, or dnaconnexions for more reliable results (still not guaranteed). - Lyme vaccination would be extremely difficult since the bacteria can change its outer surface protein (OSP) depending on host and location within the host. Vaccination antibodies work against these proteins. The Lyme vaccination from the mid 1990s targeted protein 34 and 1 other OspA (I cannot remember). Both of these antibodies ARE IGNORED by the CDC Western Blot test unless you used a lab with more expertise. - The CDC and Infectious Disease doctors ignore millions of clinical observations and real world treatments in favor of small studies subject to selection bias (see uptodate.com and read through the studies). ILADS doctors, herbalists, and Chinese medicine/acupuncture actually treat chronic patients and their clinical perspective and evidences is often discarded as non-scientific by the CDC (which is bullshit, this data is all relevant). The CDC does not emphasize and has spent almost no resources to iteratively address the shortcomings in their positions and improve poor testing. - Because of poor testing and misinformation from the CDC, many people are misdiagnosed with MS, Dementia, arthritis, Alzheimers, etc and I've met a number of them in my limited circle of contacts. Kris Kristoferson's case is very common. For example, brain autopsies of beta-amyloid deposits (Alzheimers), have many of these bacteria in them. In short, antibiotics are not sufficient to clear the bacteria in ~100,000+ cases per year (lots of studies and clinical cases showing antibiotics won't work). Many people are prescribed steroids or other immune suppressing pharmaceuticals, or associated 'medicines' for neurological conditions (I was pushed to a rheumatologist). - Treatment: Chinese herbal, Western herbal, some antibiotic, vitamin supplements, acupuncture, intermittent water fasting (16-24 hours helps me with herxing or bacteria die off). Fasting also helps with autophagy and neutrophil trap activity (neither one of those works well with sugar in the system). - Improvements: awareness, better bacteria testing, better blood panels to track immune state at regular intervals throughout life (cytokine, chemokine, interferon, etc), more awareness of treatment options (pharmaceutical and/or herbal). EDUCATION and EMPATHY should be major goals of any doctor. - Resources: www.ilads.org, "Healing Lyme" by Buhner, Lyme Literate Doctors, and own/friends/family experience. - key points: listen to your body, educate yourself, be your own advocate, be open to treatment approaches, strengthening your immune system is always the best option (some genetic abnormalities aside)

164 points by yawz 9y ago

Quick story for 10 years of friend's Doctor visits which did not diagnose a Lyme infection - insufficient CDC guidelines: Friend has had increasingly difficult health problems - mistook for thyroid issues - neurological issues (difficulty standing), thinning, pain, very scary stuff. Lyme swelling around nerves in brain, I believe was the explanation. Could not work. Finally diagnosed and undergoing months of traumatic antibiotic treatments involving a "heart port" :P is improving now, back working. Tick bite in New York.

Grazester 9y ago
As someone who lives in the North East and loves the outdoors, hearing stories like this scares me.
stinos 9y ago
mistook for thyroid issues -- Tick bite in New York Unfortunately it wasn't, but this should have been a major warning sign. There's still a lot of education to do. Almost the number one thing related to ticks I was taught by people from nature organisations is: if you know you had a tick bite, and you feel anything seriously out of order (of which the chances are still fairly small btw), check with a doctor; and if that doctor does not come up with anything tick-related (which happens, 10 years ago I also thought Lyme disease was the only bad thing which was spread by ticks), then get a second opinion from a doctor who has experience with most cases occurring in your area.
magic_beans 9y ago
In your friend's situation, did he or she not notice the tick? Or is it just that the Doctor didn't correlate the tick bite to Lyme?
technofiend 9y ago
I have an aunt on disability after a false negative for Lyme left her searching for answers over a decade. She has heart damage, blood pressure and cognitive issues. It was devastating.

notacoward 9y ago

"May be"? "Next"? Where have these guys been the last several years? I'd say under a rock, but ticks might be there too. Out in space, perhaps?

megaman22 9y ago

Nasty, nasty things. They've really exploded in the past ten years or so in New England. When I was a kid, you never had to worry about checking for ticks when you went outside and roamed around - you'd get chewed to death by blackflies, mosquitos and copperheads, but that's relatively harmless. Last summer, one incident I had to pull a couple hundred off my dog after she wandered into a particularly bad section of the willowwacks. Just awful little beasties.

Steve44 9y ago
I read an article in New Scientist a year or two ago about these. They were talking about counting the acorns on the ground as a predictor as to Lyme disease in two years time. Quite an interesting article overall. I read the physical magazine but think that https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg23431195-800-lyme-disease-is-set-to-explode-and-you-cant-protect-yourself/ https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg23431195-800-lyme-dis... is the same article.

pubby 9y ago

Always check for ticks after spending time outdoors in the summer. Here's a tip: if you have body hair, use your hands to check in addition to your eyes. It's easier to feel them than it is to see them.

wirrbel 9y ago
My personal experience is: After spending time outdoors, get a shower and a complete clothes change. They often don't bite right away but crawl around for some time until they find a spot they "like". Also, the lore that was told in my family was, that ticks dropped from trees in the forest. But you can get them also from gras, hedges, bushes. So not being in the wood is no protection against ticks.
- toss1 9y ago
  Yes, they will definitely keep climbing on you until they find a 'good spot'. The bite is also usually painless, so they can often hang on unnoticed for hours or days (iirc, they inject a numbing agent, as getting noticed kind of ends their life cycle). I read an article that described their basic algorithm as climb to the top of whatever they are on, blade of grass, shrub branch, etc., and just hang out there waving their arms until something brushes by and they snag it, then climb again until they find a good spot. In New England, I've had to get in the habit of immediately dropping the clothes in the wash, showering, and then diligently checking the whole body for tics after a run, mtn bike, or hike. And I still occasionally find one hours later. The good thing is that they don't really inject the disease until they've been attached and biting for 24 hours or so and are mostly engorged. Definitely a hazard to be diligent about! [edt: spelling]
  - tszyn 9y ago
    In your experience, can a tick attach to you if you just brush against it while moving fast (running or cycling)? They're rather slow-moving, so I thought they can't latch onto you that quickly.
    - 9y ago

whiddershins 9y ago

Ticks are awful. I used to be completely unconcerned by them as a kid, and have a knack for removing them without breaking, but after having a number of family members and pets affected by Lymes I am super careful. The random tangent about deforestation and global warming seems ideological to me. Ticks aren’t being forced into contact with us, they want to be wherever they can be. If anything my guess would there’s a problem with lack of predators, like a reduction in possums or something similar.

freehunter 9y ago
It's really strange... I grew up on a farm and remember running through the fallow fields barefoot with shorts on all summer, but the first time I actually saw a tick was in my mid-20s after I had moved to the city and took a walk through the local park. Since then I've found at least one tick on me every summer. I don't know if I just got lucky in my youth or if ticks are getting worse, but it's something that's stood out to me as curious.
- Numberwang 9y ago
  I've had similar experiences plus I've ran 1000s of Orienteering races through Swedish forests and fields. Never a single tick. Might be they only go after certain people.
  - petre 9y ago
    I imagine Sweeden is quite cold, more sparsely populated and you probably haven't destroyed so many forests/wildlife as other countries.
    - simonsarris 9y ago
      > and you probably haven't destroyed so many forests/wildlife as other countries. What does this have to do with it? New Hampshire is much more forested than it was 200 years ago. The last two years there have been WAY, WAY more ticks than in the years of my childhood. It's a mini crisis here and is completely unrelated to forest destruction or lack thereof.

drewcon 9y ago

If you do get bit. Get your tick tested. https://www.tickreport.com https://www.tickreport.com I’m from Massachusetts and spend a lot of time on Nantucket, which is like ground zero for Lyme (lots of deer, no predators). A service like this can really give you peace of mind if you do get bit. Also worth noting, a tick bite is not like a snake bite. It’s not really like being instantly injected with a venom or a foreign pathogen. From what I understand (after I got bit and looked it up) the tick really needs to be dug in for about 24-48 hours to cause a problem. So it’s more like the tick is giving you an infection, and in the course of that passing on these terrible diseases (sometimes).

kejaed 9y ago
One thing to note about getting ticks tested is that your local health authority might provide no-cost tick testing. This is the case here in Ottawa: http://www.ottawapublichealth.ca/en/public-health-topics/lyme-disease.aspx#tested http://www.ottawapublichealth.ca/en/public-health-topics/lym... Unfortunately we know all about this because our dog got bit, got Lyme disease (even though she was on the preventative medications), then developed a rare complication (heart condition). It's really made going out on the trails a less fun experience when worrying about ticks.
mantas 9y ago
At least in my whereabouts, tick testing is no longer used. They said chance of false negative is too high. On top of that, bad tick doesn't mean you're infected. Two stages blood test is only fool proof way to test for Lyme. Can confirm that ticks need time to give you Lyme. I've had Lyme twice. Both times I missed a tick on initial check and found it a day later. I get bitten few times a year and every time I find them on time all is good.
- mrec 9y ago
  Do you build up any kind of immunity after repeated exposure?
  - eric_h 9y ago

Dowwie 9y ago

If CRISPR can be used to eradicate malaria-carrying mosquitoes, then maybe it will help to eradicate ticks

bequanna 9y ago
Assuming we could do this, what would be the downside to eradicating all ticks?
- abledon 9y ago
  Read on my friend : https://mobile.nytimes.com/2012/05/29/science/would-eradicating-deer-ticks-hurt-the-ecosystem.html?referer=https://www.google.ca/ https://mobile.nytimes.com/2012/05/29/science/would-eradicat... “ Diseases like these weed out sick or infirm individuals in the host population” “Taken with other factors, like predation, “it might keep host populations within the carrying capacity of the land,” he said, possibly by reducing overgrazing and other forms of destruction to vegetation.”

jschwartzi 9y ago

Ticks and mosquitos are why I spray my hiking clothes with permethrin. It's a potent contact neurotoxin for both. It takes a little bit to act after exposure, but ticks will die quickly. Mosquitoes will also fly away and die after contacting my clothes. It's derived from a chemical found in Chrysanthemums. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permethrin https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permethrin

radiorental 9y ago
we make Permethrin 'tick tubes' for our yard. In a nutshell, it's bedding for mice laced with permethrin. Ticks attach to the mice during the mice breeding cycles in March and July here in New England. https://organicdailypost.com/make-tick-tubes/ https://organicdailypost.com/make-tick-tubes/ I'm out in the yard a lot, I pull ticks off daily. I fortunately never have had Lymes but I noted (anecdotally) that the tick population has exploded in the last 10 years with the milder winters. It's concerning. Probably going to get a flock of guinea hens this year.
- abakker 9y ago
  Get your whole yard sprayed, too. It does make a difference if you do it a few times. As other commenters here, and I, can attest, it just isn't worth getting a bite. Lyme is awful.
  - stinos 9y ago
    Get your whole yard sprayed, too Problem with this is Permethrin is quite a broad-spectrum insecticide and won't kill just ticks but also a lot of other insects (which take care of e.g. pollination and in turn are food for others, etc, the usual picture) and is also not exactly friendly for aquatic life. Also mammals are not completely out of the danger zone, depending on dose. And longer term effects are as far as I know simply unknown. So it needs at least some careful consideration in my opinion.
  - radiorental 9y ago
    I keep bees, so that ain't happening.

mmjaa 9y ago

Had to go through a Lyme treatment last year myself.. it was not fun. The antibiotics regime was easily one of the lowest points in my life - just felt terrible for weeks. The thing I was taught by this experience, is to never, ever screw around with it. In my case I was attacked by a swarm of ticks during a hot period (Vienna, Austria) and I kind of ignored the bites .. thought nothing of them after discovering the ticks (2) and removing them .. but after 2 days, I had 4 red splotches over my body, and it was clear that I had the characteristic 'bullseye' symptoms. Thought "okay, I can live through this" and didn't do anything about it for about 5 - 6 weeks; splotches went away, and I thought I was fine. No. Just, no. I was not fine. Aches and pains like none I've experienced before (being Australian, I've had a few nasty bites in my life), and malaise and lethargy that was seriously affecting my ability to live life. Doctor told me I was an idiot for not coming in right away - that I could very well have done damage to my brain - and was put on a super strong antibiotics regimen .. which was pain itself, since it screwed with everything. Anyway, had my blood tests, and they think I'm fine. But I have to go back in a month for another round of tests - because even if you think you're fine, after Lyme, you may not be fine for a few years. It can persist in the human body. So, don't be a fool like me: if you get a tick, go immediately to the doctor and get it sorted. Trust me the symptoms are just awful.

radiorental 9y ago
We have a vaccine for it, but for various regulatory & market reasons it's no longer available https://www.historyofvaccines.org/content/articles/history-lyme-disease-vaccine https://www.historyofvaccines.org/content/articles/history-l...
- eric_h 9y ago
  I received a shot of the vaccine when it was available. Unfortunately the projected longevity of the immunity conferred was only 3-5 years. By the time that period had passed for me the vaccine was no longer available.
- fludlight 9y ago
  > There is no evidence to suggest that the Lyme disease vaccine ever caused Lyme arthritis, but it was taken off the market largely in response to lawsuits alleging exactly that.

Grangar 9y ago

When you find a tick, make sure to take the necessary precautions. I know someone who could've carried it with him for as much as 72 hours before discovery, and who didn't go to the doctor. He ended up with lyme. Whereas if he had gotten antibiotics right after he'd probably have been okay.

bitexploder 9y ago
It is also important to note that removing ticks quickly reduces the chances of contracting Lyme Disease. This means having a good and thorough tick check routine when outdoors is important. It is annoying after a long day of hiking or what not, but very important.

tetromino_ 9y ago

Lyme disease is unpleasant, but at least North America doesn't have Russia's tick-borne encephalitis, which kills or causes permanent neurological damage. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tick-borne_encephalitis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tick-borne_encephalitis

Nr7 9y ago
Luckily there is a vaccine for this
pmoriarty 9y ago
Lyme disease can also kill and cause neurological damage.
Fomite 9y ago
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever has case fatality rates well above 50%, can cause multi-organ system failure, and has a 20% hospitalization rate even when treated. It's transmitted in many of the same places Lyme is.

drewcon 9y ago

Hopefully we’ll get a Lyme vaccine pretty soon. http://www.newsweek.com/lyme-disease-vaccine-valneva-fda-approva-641796 http://www.newsweek.com/lyme-disease-vaccine-valneva-fda-app... Back story on why a vaccine existed years ago ...and then was shelved because of anti-vax outrage is absolutely enraging for people who live in Lyme territory. http://legacy.wbur.org/2012/06/27/lyme-vaccine http://legacy.wbur.org/2012/06/27/lyme-vaccine

ghaff 9y ago
The withdrawal was unfortunate IMO. But it's not as simple as "anti-vax outrage." Efficacy wasn't great, vaccination only protected for a few years, and there were questions about side effects especially over the long term. [1] Especially given how Lyme has become such a problem in some areas, it's too bad it was withdrawn, but it's not a black and white case. [1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2870557/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2870557/

baxtr 9y ago

Ticks are widespread in Central Europe, but if you are cautious things are usually safe: wear long pants if you are in the woods, especially in summertime. No Flip flops. After you come home, check your entire body for ticks, it takes up to 24h to get Lyme. Have a tick card on you all the time, one like this: https://www.amazon.de/Zeckenkarte-mit-Lupe-Kurzbeschreibung-H%C3%BClle/dp/B003E0F422 https://www.amazon.de/Zeckenkarte-mit-Lupe-Kurzbeschreibung-...

randlet 9y ago
Thanks for pointing out tick cards to me. For those in Canada MEC has one [1] which is half the price of the same card on Amazon. [1] https://www.mec.ca/en/product/5050-423/Tick-Remover-Card https://www.mec.ca/en/product/5050-423/Tick-Remover-Card

alex_duf 9y ago

Interestingly enough it seems to be poorly recognised in France. (according to my personal experience, would love to hear more feedback) I have two members of my family fighting to get diagnostic even though they both got bitten where here in the UK it doesn't seem to be a problem at all.

bsaul 9y ago
After reading this comment thread, i can attest that it's clearly not known enough in france indeed. From what i've read before (because i knew about Lyme), the only region affected by Lyme is nord-east of the country. We get tick bites whenever we go to south of France with my family, but so far nobody every got anything looking like Lyme.

kolanos 9y ago

Global threat? Not exactly. You know where there aren't any ticks? The desert. No fleas or bed bugs, either.

SEJeff 9y ago

Perhaps we need more opossums (in north america at least). One of those suckers can eat 5000 ticks in a year. http://www.caryinstitute.org/newsroom/opossums-killers-ticks http://www.caryinstitute.org/newsroom/opossums-killers-ticks

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anonymous_in_TX 9y ago

One of the side effects of the fire ant problem in Texas is that they have significantly reduced the tick population. I have heard more than one person mention how they no longer find ticks after having been out in the woods, fields, etc. Here is a page that talks about fire ants and some quotes: https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston/beneficials/beneficial-56(partial)_red_imported_fire_ant.htm https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston/beneficials/be... "Fire ants voraciously consume populations of fleas, ticks, termites, cockroaches, chinch bugs, mosquito eggs and larva, scorpions, etc.—after learning this, I realize that it really has been years since I last set off a flea bomb. A non-overstated culinary creed for fire ants could be the following: If it will stay still for a bit . . . then it's dinner!" "Although fire ants are a big challenge to keep under control, one of the benefits of having the fire ants around (at least in East Texas) is that they kill ticks. If you have ever spent any time in the Piney Woods of East Texas, you understand how valuable that can be to you, your dogs and your livestock."

piokoch 9y ago

I have gone through the article, suprisingly, there was no data to backup claim that "the ticks are comming". Is that a real threat or just a mere speculation? I couldn't find the name of the author of the article, just to make sure it is someone who knows something about health problems. Lack of data plus IStock photos suggest that the research behind the article might not have been very thorough. For instance it would be interesting to learn what persentage of ticks carries bacteria dangerous for people, how the number of people infected was changing over the past years, etc.

ravenstine 9y ago
It's been a while since swine flu and africanized honeybees. They need a new threat!
deleted 9y ago
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baud147258 9y ago

One summer, during an outing, I remember trying to remove a tick with tweezers, leaving the head in and having to use a pen knife to remove it. At the time I did not (or ignored) about Lyme disease, so in my mind it do not warranted a trip to the doctor. Reading all the comments on this thread make me glad I don't spend as much time as before in place where ticks are present.

akor 9y ago

Happy to not have Lymes but I'm on year 3 of being allergic to meat that comes from hoofed animals (alpha-gal) because of a tick bite. I go out a lot less now but when I do I also use Permethrin.

mrcoles 9y ago
Sorry to hear—my sister is in the same boat with alpha-gal from a lone star tick. It seems that very few people are aware of it.
owenversteeg 9y ago
Wow, I've heard about meat allergies from ticks but I didn't realize they were common enough for 2 people on HN to have them. Permethrin really is amazing, isn't it?

goda90 9y ago

I spent a couple of years in Chile in some poorer parts of Santiago and I saw lots of ticks on lots of street dogs. I was outside much of the day and yet I never got a tick. I kind of wonder if the dogs being a plentiful and easy target resulted in the ticks just not trying with humans.

ben7799 9y ago

The article is somewhat alarmist, behavior modification can greatly limit the risk of ticks. This might be something that is more alarming in the UK for some reason if they haven't had to worry about it so far? I live in Massachusetts, pretty close to ground central for Lyme's disease. I've been mountain biking, hiking, doing outdoor photography, etc.. most of my life and have never managed to get bit by a tick and contract it. I've found 5 ticks or so in that time have always found them before they could bite me just because I was aware of the risk. And that's talking hundreds of days per year of outdoor activities. Tall grass is high risk. Taking your sweet time golfing is risky. Riding your mountain bike through grass at 20mph is much less risky. You'd tend to be riding on a trail too, even if it's not more than 6" wide, it still somewhat reduces the surface for the ticks to cling to. Having a job like being a surveyor is very high risk since they're out in the grass working and not moving quickly. Once you get under major tree cover (we have lots of it) the undergrowth tends to thin out and you'll contact less grass/leaves and have less exposure to ticks grabbing onto you. This is perhaps one of the reasons you hear a lot about people getting Ticks down on Cape Code if they're exploring tall grass environments, there is less dense tree cover on the Cape compared to the mainland. By far the riskiest thing anecdotally seems to be owning a dog. Dogs love to go walk through the high grass, ticks love to grab onto their fur. Then they bring the ticks into your car, into your house, sit on your lap. When you walk your dog you tend to go where the dog wants to go within reason. And you're walking, so you're moving at speeds ticks are happy with. So you're perhaps walking areas you wouldn't walk alone if you're wary of ticks. It seems like practically every dog owner I know regularly deals with ticks brought in by dogs, and a lot of the dog owners have actually gotten Lyme's disease, some more than once! You'll hear stories of 10 ticks on a dog coming back from a walk. If I guess I've found 5 on me in 25 years of outdoor activities 1 was biking in/around tall grass on Cape Cod (found it on my leg), 1 was walking in North Carolina (found it on my sock), 1 was brought into the house by a dog (the only deer tick of the 5). Not sure of the others, maybe 5 is generous. The article also doesn't mention how certain activities can be done in different months to limit risk. Particularly deer tick are much harder to spot if you are out in risky areas in the early spring. They're super small at that point. But later in the summer they're grown and easy to spot. For me that super high risk deer tick season where they are immature coincides with mud season. We are already discouraged from hiking & biking through the mud, so the double whammy of peak tick season + mud season makes it easy to select outdoor activities that are lower risk at that time of year. It's just really hard to take the article seriously, this just is not going to be a risk for people who live in big cities and spend little time in natural environments, particularly if they also don't have pets. That covers a lot of the population.

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assclown 9y ago

why not just tuck your pants into your socks, and no more ticks. or you could use Eucalyptus in the shower and no more ticks. WTF are you talking about the next global health threat. Like wearing a condom protect your self and buy some eucalyptus ticks hate that and lemon oil works better than deet and all natural non toxic.

rukittenme 9y ago

I'm reading the comments about people spraying their yards for ticks and I'm astonished. I've been bit by hundreds of ticks throughout my life. My wife has never been bit and has a terrible fear of them. But for me it was just growing up in the woods. You went out and when you got back you pulled a few off your ankles and back. Now that I live in suburbia its much rarer but even when it does happen I just remove the tick and move on. I've never thought to seek medical treatment for it.

v-erne 9y ago
I have hard time guessing if You are serious or just trolling. Lyme disease is no joke. It can destroy Your life. And first real symptoms often comes when damages done to nervous system are irreversible. My father had it and and lost ability to concentrate when reading text longer than one page. Son of my uncle almost died from it when he was 18. Even if You think You are healthy, You should test Yourself.
- rukittenme 9y ago
  I know I'm healthy. There have been 420 confirmed cases of Lyme disease in Tennessee over the past 15 years. One person for every 250,000 will get infected in a given year. And even then, those people will only get infected if they leave the tick on themselves for 48 hours. Shower once daily and you're fine. But let's pretend the tick is infected and the tick feeds for 48 hours. Take some antibiotics and you're fine. Lyme disease is stupidly easy to treat. And no it does not come upon you suddenly. There's a huge rash that covers the infected area. I'm sorry for what happened to your father and uncle's son. Truly, I am. More awareness should be raised about Lyme disease. You don't need to fear it or spray your yards. If you see the rash go to a doctor.
  - v-erne 9y ago
    It seems that Your country's ticks are way better than mine. I would gladly swap. According to my countrys newspapers (Im from Poland) there were at least 10000 confirmed cases of lyme last year. The main reason is that almost 40 percent of ticks here is infected. And the rash is optional. You can contract the disease and have first sympthoms after 10 years. But this is rather rare.

wizardforhire 9y ago

When I was 9 my mom got bit by a tick. Her mother had just died and she had just been divorced. She got Lyme disease was in excruciating pain and bed ridden for almost a year. She gained at least 100 pounds. I have very distinct memories of going into her room to just be with my mom and she would just be lying there in excruciating pain. As a kid I didn't really understand it and couldn't understand why she never wanted to do anything. Before she was very engaged and that year she just disappeared. Last year I was driving with my girl friend on a road trip. We stopped at a scenic view and picked some wild flowers. About an hour later I felt something crawling in my beard, discovered a tick before it bit thankfully but it got lost in the floor. I calmly told my girlfriend we have to stop it's an emergency. We promptly pulled over at the next exit and scoured that car and found the tick. Of course it was a spotted dear tick. We took a 30 minute breather and reflected on mortality. Really really scary! I was fortunate to have sensed it and found it before anything happened. So yeah ticks... It only takes one bite. That tick in very high likelyhood is carrying Lyme disease and that one bite will destroy your life. Worst of all... You probably won't even know it's there before it's too late.

matmo 9y ago

For the uninformed, what's the proper way to remove a tick these days? When I was younger I heard advice to put a flame or extinguished match near the tick until it unlatches, but I've also heard that that's a bad idea because it causes them to emit some irritant into your body or something to that effect. What's the correct way?

spacehome 9y ago
That's terrible advice. The flame will cause the tick to unlatch, but it can also cause it to vomit, giving you any pathogens it's carrying. The correct way is to take tweezers, side on grasping the top and bottom of the head and pull gently straight up (perpendicularly from the surface of your skin). Be patient. Taking a few minutes to do it right is better than rushing; you have about 24 hours before any significant risk of infection. Make sure you identify the head first and grasp that, as sometimes the head is buried. If you grab the body, you'll just decapitate the tick by pulling.

matt_s 9y ago

How is this hacker news?

fian 9y ago

While the article is focused on transfer of various pathogens from ticks to humans, there is also a risk of developing and allergy to mammalian meat: http://www.mydr.com.au/allergy/mammalian-meat-allergy http://www.mydr.com.au/allergy/mammalian-meat-allergy There is evidence of similar allergies occurring in the US and Europe due to tick bite. So it is very important that you remove a tick carefully to minimise the potential for the tick to vomit. Permethrin creams (used to treat scabies) can be used for small/juvenile ticks.

midwest1990 9y ago

I am currently going through Lyme & Bartonella treatment from a tick bite in northern Michigan last summer. I've been to multiple doctors, had multiple blood panels and blood tests(Lyme, Bartonella, Babesia, Erlichia, etc). I wanted to share what I've learned in hopes that it helps others. This is what I've learned (it's kind of lengthy): - Lyme exists everywhere on Earth as delivered by avian/mice/tick/deer/animal populations and it is adept at survival in many hosts for a long time. These tick bacteria are very adept at subverting portions of a hosts immune system to maintain their existence in the host. Healthier or adapted hosts can clear the bacteria, in all forms, easier that immuno compromised hosts. - Ticks can transmit Lyme within 10 minutes of feeding depending on the blood circulation from the host and saliva transmit rates. Co-infections like Bartonella (24+ strains), Babesia, Erlichia happen in a very large percentage of bites. The 'bullseye rash' may or may not appear depending on Lyme strain, the host immune system, and how the two interact. - Lyme feeds on collagen is ubiquitous in the body, that is why symptoms can occur everywhere and sporadically depending on immune response (local and systemic). Lyme uses Manganese to facilitate it's "feeding process" (Stanford has a in-vitro study on Claritin which disrupts Manganese in this mechanism). I've had brain fog, slight dizziness, eye film, tendon inflammation (ankles/elbows/hands), sore neck/shoulders, streaked rashes (bartonella), all sporadic. - 6 weeks after tick bite, I successfully diagnosed myself with Lyme and Bartonella. This took 3+ months for a handful of doctors and blood tests before doctors agreed. (Listen to your body, but don't go nuts and overexagerate ;-). See below - A dermatologist prescribed 1 200 mg 1 week after my tick bite roughly following CDC guidelines (useless). ~17 days after tick bite a 100 fever with severe achilles tendon inflammation (painful almost ruptured). Started 3 week Doxycycline 100 mg (2x day) from Urgent care doctor. ELISA, Western Blot IgG, IgM both negative (summary only, no antibody blots provided). Some brain fog improvement on Doxycycline. 2 week flares of my achilles tendon issues while on Doxycycline. Doxycycline extended to 5 weeks with no improvement. My primary care doctor said 3 weeks cleared it up, remaining symptoms were from something else (I dropped that dr). Next internist did more blood tests and suspected something. Out of pocket Igenex (out of pocket) test at 2 months indicate negative Lyme, with trace amounts of 3 Lyme specific antibody stains and 1 antibody shared with chlamydia. Infectious Disease doctor at 2 month mark said I was cured and that they would only treat symptoms caused by unknown with rheumatologist and neurologist with pharmaceuticals. Infectious Disease dr ignored my Bartonella claim due to ankle tendon pain and a week later ignored my email photo of Bartonella specific rash. I timed another set of Bartonella tests with my primary care (new) at 3 months and a peak in my symptom cycle. An insurance covered PCR (dna) test was negative while out of pocket Igenex Bartonella FISH (antigen) test that I found and asked the doctor to submit, was positive from blood samples taken that time/arm. My primary care y is striving to learn more about Lyme now and admitted the CDC was incorrect. I started acupuncture and Chinese medicine 3+ months in and it makes a difference. I finally saw a Lyme doctor 4+ months after the bite (I was on the waiting list for 2 months), I am getting additional western herbal treatment in combination with Chinese herbals. Things are improving but I get occassional spikes in symptoms (all over), which is usually what people are hampered by during treatment (antibiotics and/or herbal). Sadly, my case history is less severe compared to many. - Lyme testing (antibody/dna/antigen) via blood is problematic because the bacteria prefers to feed on collagen tissue and is rarely hanging out in the blood flow. The CDC, per Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA), recommends a garbage test first (ELISA - inconsistent results from same blood draw). The Western Blot results are often summarized instead of displaying entire results (it ignores Lyme specific antibodies related to defunct vaccination that almost nobody received). USE Igenex (Palo Alto), Galaxy Labs, or dnaconnexions for more reliable results (still not guaranteed). - Lyme vaccination would be extremely difficult since the bacteria can change its outer surface protein (OSP) depending on host and location within the host. Vaccination antibodies work against these proteins. The Lyme vaccination from the mid 1990s targeted protein 34 and 1 other OspA (I cannot remember). Both of these antibodies ARE IGNORED by the CDC Western Blot test unless you used a lab with more expertise. - The CDC and Infectious Disease doctors ignore millions of clinical observations and real world treatments in favor of small studies subject to selection bias (see uptodate.com and read through the studies). ILADS doctors, herbalists, and Chinese medicine/acupuncture actually treat chronic patients and their clinical perspective and evidences is often discarded as non-scientific by the CDC (which is bullshit, this data is all relevant). The CDC does not emphasize and has spent almost no resources to iteratively address the shortcomings in their positions and improve poor testing. - Because of poor testing and misinformation from the CDC, many people are misdiagnosed with MS, Dementia, arthritis, Alzheimers, etc and I've met a number of them in my limited circle of contacts. Kris Kristoferson's case is very common. For example, brain autopsies of beta-amyloid deposits (Alzheimers), have many of these bacteria in them. In short, antibiotics are not sufficient to clear the bacteria in ~100,000+ cases per year (lots of studies and clinical cases showing antibiotics won't work). Many people are prescribed steroids or other immune suppressing pharmaceuticals, or associated 'medicines' for neurological conditions (I was pushed to a rheumatologist). - Treatment: Chinese herbal, Western herbal, some antibiotic, vitamin supplements, acupuncture, intermittent water fasting (16-24 hours helps me with herxing or bacteria die off). Fasting also helps with autophagy and neutrophil trap activity (neither one of those works well with sugar in the system). - Improvements: awareness, better bacteria testing, better blood panels to track immune state at regular intervals throughout life (cytokine, chemokine, interferon, etc), more awareness of treatment options (pharmaceutical and/or herbal). EDUCATION and EMPATHY should be major goals of any doctor. - Resources: www.ilads.org, "Healing Lyme" by Buhner, Lyme Literate Doctors, and own/friends/family experience. - key points: listen to your body, educate yourself, be your own advocate, be open to treatment approaches, strengthening your immune system is always the best option (some genetic abnormalities aside)