8 ms·

As a US new england-er, this is game changer for walking through woods. For those un-informed, on a walk through any woods, you should always wear high socks,

As a US new england-er, this is game changer for walking through woods. For those un-informed, on a walk through any woods, you should always wear high socks, and do a full body check for ticks after. Deer ticks can be as small as a few grains of sand, and near undetectable if they latch on unless you have sharp eyes. Obviously they can transmit lymes. I had a close encounter a few years ago, but very luckily giant rings appeared around the bite site, making it a very easy diagnosis. That only happens in 30% of cases though. The rest likely have no idea, and over time the disease will work it's way into your nervous system, causing permanent damage if not treated quickly enough.

gkilmain 5y ago
My experience with ticks: Closer to the home is where you're going to find the small ones. I've had two on me. First one was easy to spot it looked like a freckle on my knee. The second one I felt the bite (thought it was an itch) and it was on my inner thigh. Not sure if I would have noticed the second one if it wasn't for its haphazard bite. Both latched on when I was in / near the garden.
ChrisMarshallNY 5y ago
I've pulled four of the little bastards off me, this summer (so far). They have gotten much worse, in the last few years (Long Island, NY). I also know a few (several) folks that have had very bad, life-changing debilitation, as a result of Lyme. I'm aware of one (that I never met), who died from complications of Lyme. I also have a family member, that got it pretty badly, recovered completely, and now seems to be immune. I'm having myself checked at the doctor, next week.
- voisin 5y ago
  How are you getting checked? I understood (perhaps wrongly) that the blood tests are only accurate well beyond the window with which the medications are effective, creating a chicken and egg issue.
  - inter_netuser 5y ago
    why is there a window? people report recovery after several years with an appropriate treatment.
    - voisin 5y ago
      Recovery with Lyme isn’t always forever. It apparently goes into remission and comes back later. Not sure if anyone knows why or how it does that. AFAIK it is only cured if treated very quickly, before the blood tests are accurate.
    - saalweachter 5y ago
      The bacteria can cause long-lasting damage, basically, and the symptoms of Lyme disease can just be that damage.
      - inter_netuser 5y ago
        Yes, that can be on me situation. The frontiers study shows bacteria persists inside the brain.
    - istjohn 5y ago
      The bacteria migrates throughout the body over time, including into the brain and spine, so it's easier to eliminate when treated promptly.
  - ChrisMarshallNY 5y ago
    Not exactly sure. I made an appointment. First time I've done that. It may just be a "put it on the record" visit, with follow-ups in some months. My relative didn't find out, until he had a cantaloupe for a kneecap. They tested the fluid, and found lots of Lyme. He's always getting bit. Deer pass through his backyard, on a regular. He said the treatment was anticlimactic. A course of oral antibiotics.
  - ce4 5y ago
    There's no definitive accredited lab check as far as I know. At least here in Germany the official serologic tests for late stage Lyme can come back negative for years until the disease really progresses badly - even cerebrospinal fluid results may be normal despite neurological symptoms. My specialist uses elispot lab tests for Borrelia b. OspA, antigen and LFA-1 markers. Other practitioners use westernblot lab results and differential diagnosis.
- ghaff 5y ago
  I haven't seen any recently but they were really bad earlier in the summer in Massachusetts to the point that there were a couple walks that I was doing regularly that I decided to forgo for a bit. And anecdotally I've heard a similar story from others. (Fortunately, everything I've seen have been the larger dog ticks.)
  - spicybright 5y ago
    Dog ticks?
sva_ 5y ago
> That only happens in 30% of cases though. According to the CDC, its 70-80%[0]. [0] https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/signs_symptoms/index.html https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/signs_symptoms/index.html
- inter_netuser 5y ago
  Not the first time CDC would be wrong. EDIT: why downvote facts? Recent example on a hot topic: "CDC reverses itself and says guidelines it posted on coronavirus airborne transmission were wrong" https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/09/21/cdc-covid-aerosols-airborne-guidelines/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/09/21/cdc-covid-a...
  - polynox 5y ago
    Being wrong is the essence of science. By contrast, lyme disease is (1) more than 40 years old, (2) not contagious, and (3) has no political headwinds. There is little reason to distrust CDC on this.
    - inter_netuser 5y ago
      Several states felt it was necessary to pass laws regarding Lyme and provide immunity to physicians willing to treat long haul covid...errr long haul lyme patients. Seems rather naive to presume they had to pass new laws because Lyme has no political headwinds. It has plenty of controversy around it, for better or worse.
      - polynox 5y ago
        I was able to substantiate your comment about the laws being changed in two California bills (2013 AB1278 and 2005 AB592) amending BPC 2234.1 that appears to relax restrictions about treatment of "persistent" Lyme disease. I do not think it is relevant to the point in this thread that is discussing whether Lyme disease does or does not result in a bullseye rash (Erythema Migrans or EM), and the CDC claiming that in 70-80% of cases the rash is present, which you baselessly disputed and edited your comment to accuse those of downvoting "facts". As an example of what "evidence" might be, a 2009 paper [1] in Current Problems in Dermatology refers: > EM is by far the most frequent manifestation of Lyme borreliosis. In the USA, more than 70% of patients registered with Lyme borreliosis had EM [28]. Among 1,471 patients shown to have Lyme borreliosis in an epidemiologic study in southern Sweden, EM was seen in 77% of all cases, and was accompanied by other signs of the disease such as nervous system involvement, arthritis, lymphocytoma and/or carditis in only 6.5% [29] You can dispute those referred studies if you wish, but I think it would be hard to argue that CDC's statement that Lyme disease is characterized by EM in 70-80% of cases is untrue. [1] Strle, F., & Stanek, G. (2009). Clinical Manifestations and Diagnosis of Lyme Borreliosis. Lyme Borreliosis, 51–110. doi:10.1159/000213070
inter_netuser 5y ago
Many report chronic symptoms, who have been laughed at for decades. Chronic persistence (at least in some cases) has now been proven. Took someone with chronic lyme to donate the brain for research: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2021.628045/full https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2021.6280...
- bobo_legos 5y ago
  Kris Kirstofferson was told by doctors that his memory loss was either Alzheimer's or Dementia. Another doctor finally decided to test him for lyme. Turns out he he probably got bitten by a tick shooting a movie 10 years prior to the positive test. https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/kris-kristofferson-an-outlaw-at-80-183141/ https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/kris-kristofferson-an-o...
  - loceng 5y ago
    Huh, I wonder if my executive dysfunction in part could be Lyme disease. I was bitten 10+ years ago - had to pull it off, though it hadn't been there long as it hadn't latched on deeply yet - it did cause a small ring; I did get and take short course of antibiotics immediately after as far as I remember. I've heard common bloodwork done is very poor at detecting it but is there a better or sure way of detecting it?
    - deleted 5y ago
      [deleted]
    - istjohn 5y ago
      The article states that Lyme disease is only transmitted if the tic latches on for over 36 hours. The bacteria is latent in the tic's gut until blood is ingested, at which point it takes 36 hours for the bacteria to multiply and migrate to the tic's salivary glands.
      - loceng 5y ago
        Ah thanks - well, perhaps the mark was just my body reacting to its beginning attempt to attach.
mauvehaus 5y ago
I would get this vaccine yesterday if it were available. Shit, if I were planning on spending a lot of time in the woods (like, more than I already do), I would go to a vet and see if they would give me the one that's for dogs. Untreated Lyme messes people up. A whole bunch of people I knew who thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2010 got Lyme. I did not get it, but I don't think I was appreciably more cautious than the people I directly knew who did. Part of what makes Lyme scary is the randomness of who gets it and how easy it is to not know you've contracted it. Fortunately, hikers are at least generally aware that it's a possibility and know to seek treatment for it specifically. Awareness in the general population is probably still much lower. P.S. Hello from WRJ, VT, fellow New Englander!
- White_Wolf 5y ago
  I'm not sure if this is up to date and anything else was done in terms of research but https://scopeblog.stanford.edu/2020/03/30/lyme-disease-bacteria-eradicated-by-new-drug-in-early-tests/ https://scopeblog.stanford.edu/2020/03/30/lyme-disease-bacte...
  - computer23 5y ago
    That article was written by long time conspiracy theorist Kris Newby. Newby is the producer of a propaganda documentary for "chronic Lyme" called Under Our Skin, and also spreads conspiracy theories about bioweapons: https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/a-review-of-under-our-skin-a-cult-classic/ https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/a-review-of-under-our-skin-... https://theconversation.com/no-lyme-disease-is-not-an-escaped-military-bioweapon-despite-what-conspiracy-theorists-say-120879 https://theconversation.com/no-lyme-disease-is-not-an-escape... The article itself is about in vitro experiments funded by other chronic lyme conspiracy theorists. It has nothing to do with human disease.
    - inter_netuser 5y ago
      It has to do with spirochetes visible under microscope in human brain tissue. Do you accept that rather obvious finding, or "cOnSpIrAcY" is your main counter-argument?
300bps 5y ago
A few houses ago we lived on 2.5 heavily wooded acres in a tick endemic area. Probably got 30 ticks on me from working in the woods. Never got Lyme disease though by following what you said - check for ticks at the end of each day. It really is true… if they are latched for less than 36 hours you are good. My son on the other hand had Lyme disease when he was about 6 with a found tick followed by obvious bulls eye rash in the middle of his back. The one time we didn’t check him at end of the day… 30 days of amoxicillin and he’s been fine the past seven years.
riedel 5y ago
Actually Lyme is a huge problem in southern Germany as well. Actually it seems that a lot of inflammatory joint problems stem from it that are often wrongly diagnosed.
- spiderfarmer 5y ago
  And brain problems, discovered years later.
- pluc 5y ago
  and ticks in Germany are massive compared to the ones we get in North America.
  - rags2riches 5y ago
    Which lyme carrying species are you comparing? For Ixodes scapularis compared to Ixodes ricinus I see adult female sizes of 2.5 mm vs 3.6 mm. Not a huge difference. Are you sure you're not comparing larvae or nymphs to adults or even gorged adults?
    - pluc 5y ago
      I've taken a tick out of my dog in Germany and I've taken a tick out of my dog in Canada. The German tick was nearly an inch long with. The Canadian ticks I take out of my dogs are specks with legs, or at the most 2-3cm long.
      - mafuy 5y ago
        You mean 2-3mm I assume. That's a common size here in Germany, too. Ticks in Germany are no longer than about 1 cm when saturated, at most. An inch sounds incredible to me - probably a different species?
Dumblydorr 5y ago
Small edit: The article claims 3/4 have the circular rash, not 30%.
Loughla 5y ago
I'm convinced you can become and/or grow immune to Lyme, though. It's purely anecdotal. I grew up where we built our house (deep, deep in the woods). I spent my childhood on the farm there. Ticks were a constant menace, I honestly don't know how many hundreds I pulled off myself as a child. When I was able, my spouse and I purchased it and built a house. 6 months after moving in, my spouse developed Lymes disease. I have no explanation, other than I am immune to the ticks in the area (or I have had it my entire life with zero symptoms maybe?).
- uncertainrhymes 5y ago
  When you were young, those ticks may not have had lyme. More importantly, you removed them. They have to be attached for 24 hours before the bacteria comes back out of the tick's gut.
  - misja111 5y ago
    No, removing them early just reduces the chance of getting Lyme. There's no such thing as a 24 hour barrier.
    - istjohn 5y ago
      The article states there is a 36 hour barrier. Do you have a source?
      - misja111 5y ago
        E.g. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4278789/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4278789/ "in animal models, transmission can occur in <16 hours, and the minimum attachment time for transmission of infection has never been established" or https://www.lymedisease.org/tick-lyme-transmission-time/ https://www.lymedisease.org/tick-lyme-transmission-time/ "Study finds nymphal ticks can transmit Lyme within 12 hours"
Grazester 5y ago
I go hiking a lot in the Hudson area of New York and have my concerns about ticks too. As you said, tall sock are recommended. I also use permethrin on all my lower items of clothing including shoes. I sometimes also use Off on my exposed skin areas and then check for ticks after my hikes. My wife was once bitten by something through her pants. That left a small ring. I do doubt it was a tick though. My sister on the other hand was bitten by something a few years ago, she thinks it was a spider. There were multiple red rings extending far and she started having other reactions and needed hospitalization. They pumped her so full of anti-biotics(was on a drip for days), it left her digestive system screwy for months but at least she does not have Lyme disease now.
- ericcholis 5y ago
  Lint rollers after a hike/walk isn't a bad idea either.
thefz 5y ago
This is enormously good news for mountain bikers too.
ipqk 5y ago
For those of us with dark skin, the bullseye ring may be there but be imperceptible, making it even harder to diagnose.
hobo_mark 5y ago
Tall socks and trousers sure, but of course they'll get wherever. The only time I had one of them little suckers I only found out the next day... under my wristwatch!
pwenzel 5y ago
Here are a few pictures of a deer tick that bit me in 2020. I got pretty sick from it. Penny and ruler for scale: https://imgur.com/a/xgF5Zw2 https://imgur.com/a/xgF5Zw2 Its body quit tiny is just over 1mm in width. I got it either sitting in a field of grass that was a few inches tall, or walking through some brush for 5 minutes a Minneapolis park. I wasn't out doing anything exciting like hunting for morels in old growth forests.

gkilmain 5y ago

My experience with ticks: Closer to the home is where you're going to find the small ones. I've had two on me. First one was easy to spot it looked like a freckle on my knee. The second one I felt the bite (thought it was an itch) and it was on my inner thigh. Not sure if I would have noticed the second one if it wasn't for its haphazard bite. Both latched on when I was in / near the garden.

ChrisMarshallNY 5y ago

I've pulled four of the little bastards off me, this summer (so far). They have gotten much worse, in the last few years (Long Island, NY). I also know a few (several) folks that have had very bad, life-changing debilitation, as a result of Lyme. I'm aware of one (that I never met), who died from complications of Lyme. I also have a family member, that got it pretty badly, recovered completely, and now seems to be immune. I'm having myself checked at the doctor, next week.

voisin 5y ago
How are you getting checked? I understood (perhaps wrongly) that the blood tests are only accurate well beyond the window with which the medications are effective, creating a chicken and egg issue.
- inter_netuser 5y ago
  why is there a window? people report recovery after several years with an appropriate treatment.
  - voisin 5y ago
    Recovery with Lyme isn’t always forever. It apparently goes into remission and comes back later. Not sure if anyone knows why or how it does that. AFAIK it is only cured if treated very quickly, before the blood tests are accurate.
  - saalweachter 5y ago
    The bacteria can cause long-lasting damage, basically, and the symptoms of Lyme disease can just be that damage.
    - inter_netuser 5y ago
      Yes, that can be on me situation. The frontiers study shows bacteria persists inside the brain.
  - istjohn 5y ago
    The bacteria migrates throughout the body over time, including into the brain and spine, so it's easier to eliminate when treated promptly.
- ChrisMarshallNY 5y ago
  Not exactly sure. I made an appointment. First time I've done that. It may just be a "put it on the record" visit, with follow-ups in some months. My relative didn't find out, until he had a cantaloupe for a kneecap. They tested the fluid, and found lots of Lyme. He's always getting bit. Deer pass through his backyard, on a regular. He said the treatment was anticlimactic. A course of oral antibiotics.
- ce4 5y ago
  There's no definitive accredited lab check as far as I know. At least here in Germany the official serologic tests for late stage Lyme can come back negative for years until the disease really progresses badly - even cerebrospinal fluid results may be normal despite neurological symptoms. My specialist uses elispot lab tests for Borrelia b. OspA, antigen and LFA-1 markers. Other practitioners use westernblot lab results and differential diagnosis.
ghaff 5y ago
I haven't seen any recently but they were really bad earlier in the summer in Massachusetts to the point that there were a couple walks that I was doing regularly that I decided to forgo for a bit. And anecdotally I've heard a similar story from others. (Fortunately, everything I've seen have been the larger dog ticks.)
- spicybright 5y ago
  Dog ticks?

sva_ 5y ago

> That only happens in 30% of cases though. According to the CDC, its 70-80%[0]. [0] https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/signs_symptoms/index.html https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/signs_symptoms/index.html

inter_netuser 5y ago
Not the first time CDC would be wrong. EDIT: why downvote facts? Recent example on a hot topic: "CDC reverses itself and says guidelines it posted on coronavirus airborne transmission were wrong" https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/09/21/cdc-covid-aerosols-airborne-guidelines/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/09/21/cdc-covid-a...
- polynox 5y ago
  Being wrong is the essence of science. By contrast, lyme disease is (1) more than 40 years old, (2) not contagious, and (3) has no political headwinds. There is little reason to distrust CDC on this.
  - inter_netuser 5y ago
    Several states felt it was necessary to pass laws regarding Lyme and provide immunity to physicians willing to treat long haul covid...errr long haul lyme patients. Seems rather naive to presume they had to pass new laws because Lyme has no political headwinds. It has plenty of controversy around it, for better or worse.
    - polynox 5y ago
      I was able to substantiate your comment about the laws being changed in two California bills (2013 AB1278 and 2005 AB592) amending BPC 2234.1 that appears to relax restrictions about treatment of "persistent" Lyme disease. I do not think it is relevant to the point in this thread that is discussing whether Lyme disease does or does not result in a bullseye rash (Erythema Migrans or EM), and the CDC claiming that in 70-80% of cases the rash is present, which you baselessly disputed and edited your comment to accuse those of downvoting "facts". As an example of what "evidence" might be, a 2009 paper [1] in Current Problems in Dermatology refers: > EM is by far the most frequent manifestation of Lyme borreliosis. In the USA, more than 70% of patients registered with Lyme borreliosis had EM [28]. Among 1,471 patients shown to have Lyme borreliosis in an epidemiologic study in southern Sweden, EM was seen in 77% of all cases, and was accompanied by other signs of the disease such as nervous system involvement, arthritis, lymphocytoma and/or carditis in only 6.5% [29] You can dispute those referred studies if you wish, but I think it would be hard to argue that CDC's statement that Lyme disease is characterized by EM in 70-80% of cases is untrue. [1] Strle, F., & Stanek, G. (2009). Clinical Manifestations and Diagnosis of Lyme Borreliosis. Lyme Borreliosis, 51–110. doi:10.1159/000213070

inter_netuser 5y ago

Many report chronic symptoms, who have been laughed at for decades. Chronic persistence (at least in some cases) has now been proven. Took someone with chronic lyme to donate the brain for research: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2021.628045/full https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2021.6280...

bobo_legos 5y ago
Kris Kirstofferson was told by doctors that his memory loss was either Alzheimer's or Dementia. Another doctor finally decided to test him for lyme. Turns out he he probably got bitten by a tick shooting a movie 10 years prior to the positive test. https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/kris-kristofferson-an-outlaw-at-80-183141/ https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/kris-kristofferson-an-o...
- loceng 5y ago
  Huh, I wonder if my executive dysfunction in part could be Lyme disease. I was bitten 10+ years ago - had to pull it off, though it hadn't been there long as it hadn't latched on deeply yet - it did cause a small ring; I did get and take short course of antibiotics immediately after as far as I remember. I've heard common bloodwork done is very poor at detecting it but is there a better or sure way of detecting it?
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
  - istjohn 5y ago
    The article states that Lyme disease is only transmitted if the tic latches on for over 36 hours. The bacteria is latent in the tic's gut until blood is ingested, at which point it takes 36 hours for the bacteria to multiply and migrate to the tic's salivary glands.
    - loceng 5y ago
      Ah thanks - well, perhaps the mark was just my body reacting to its beginning attempt to attach.

mauvehaus 5y ago

I would get this vaccine yesterday if it were available. Shit, if I were planning on spending a lot of time in the woods (like, more than I already do), I would go to a vet and see if they would give me the one that's for dogs. Untreated Lyme messes people up. A whole bunch of people I knew who thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2010 got Lyme. I did not get it, but I don't think I was appreciably more cautious than the people I directly knew who did. Part of what makes Lyme scary is the randomness of who gets it and how easy it is to not know you've contracted it. Fortunately, hikers are at least generally aware that it's a possibility and know to seek treatment for it specifically. Awareness in the general population is probably still much lower. P.S. Hello from WRJ, VT, fellow New Englander!

White_Wolf 5y ago
I'm not sure if this is up to date and anything else was done in terms of research but https://scopeblog.stanford.edu/2020/03/30/lyme-disease-bacteria-eradicated-by-new-drug-in-early-tests/ https://scopeblog.stanford.edu/2020/03/30/lyme-disease-bacte...
- computer23 5y ago
  That article was written by long time conspiracy theorist Kris Newby. Newby is the producer of a propaganda documentary for "chronic Lyme" called Under Our Skin, and also spreads conspiracy theories about bioweapons: https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/a-review-of-under-our-skin-a-cult-classic/ https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/a-review-of-under-our-skin-... https://theconversation.com/no-lyme-disease-is-not-an-escaped-military-bioweapon-despite-what-conspiracy-theorists-say-120879 https://theconversation.com/no-lyme-disease-is-not-an-escape... The article itself is about in vitro experiments funded by other chronic lyme conspiracy theorists. It has nothing to do with human disease.
  - inter_netuser 5y ago
    It has to do with spirochetes visible under microscope in human brain tissue. Do you accept that rather obvious finding, or "cOnSpIrAcY" is your main counter-argument?

300bps 5y ago

A few houses ago we lived on 2.5 heavily wooded acres in a tick endemic area. Probably got 30 ticks on me from working in the woods. Never got Lyme disease though by following what you said - check for ticks at the end of each day. It really is true… if they are latched for less than 36 hours you are good. My son on the other hand had Lyme disease when he was about 6 with a found tick followed by obvious bulls eye rash in the middle of his back. The one time we didn’t check him at end of the day… 30 days of amoxicillin and he’s been fine the past seven years.

riedel 5y ago

Actually Lyme is a huge problem in southern Germany as well. Actually it seems that a lot of inflammatory joint problems stem from it that are often wrongly diagnosed.

spiderfarmer 5y ago
And brain problems, discovered years later.
pluc 5y ago
and ticks in Germany are massive compared to the ones we get in North America.
- rags2riches 5y ago
  Which lyme carrying species are you comparing? For Ixodes scapularis compared to Ixodes ricinus I see adult female sizes of 2.5 mm vs 3.6 mm. Not a huge difference. Are you sure you're not comparing larvae or nymphs to adults or even gorged adults?
  - pluc 5y ago
    I've taken a tick out of my dog in Germany and I've taken a tick out of my dog in Canada. The German tick was nearly an inch long with. The Canadian ticks I take out of my dogs are specks with legs, or at the most 2-3cm long.
    - mafuy 5y ago
      You mean 2-3mm I assume. That's a common size here in Germany, too. Ticks in Germany are no longer than about 1 cm when saturated, at most. An inch sounds incredible to me - probably a different species?

Dumblydorr 5y ago

Small edit: The article claims 3/4 have the circular rash, not 30%.

Loughla 5y ago

I'm convinced you can become and/or grow immune to Lyme, though. It's purely anecdotal. I grew up where we built our house (deep, deep in the woods). I spent my childhood on the farm there. Ticks were a constant menace, I honestly don't know how many hundreds I pulled off myself as a child. When I was able, my spouse and I purchased it and built a house. 6 months after moving in, my spouse developed Lymes disease. I have no explanation, other than I am immune to the ticks in the area (or I have had it my entire life with zero symptoms maybe?).

uncertainrhymes 5y ago
When you were young, those ticks may not have had lyme. More importantly, you removed them. They have to be attached for 24 hours before the bacteria comes back out of the tick's gut.
- misja111 5y ago
  No, removing them early just reduces the chance of getting Lyme. There's no such thing as a 24 hour barrier.
  - istjohn 5y ago
    The article states there is a 36 hour barrier. Do you have a source?
    - misja111 5y ago
      E.g. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4278789/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4278789/ "in animal models, transmission can occur in <16 hours, and the minimum attachment time for transmission of infection has never been established" or https://www.lymedisease.org/tick-lyme-transmission-time/ https://www.lymedisease.org/tick-lyme-transmission-time/ "Study finds nymphal ticks can transmit Lyme within 12 hours"

Grazester 5y ago

I go hiking a lot in the Hudson area of New York and have my concerns about ticks too. As you said, tall sock are recommended. I also use permethrin on all my lower items of clothing including shoes. I sometimes also use Off on my exposed skin areas and then check for ticks after my hikes. My wife was once bitten by something through her pants. That left a small ring. I do doubt it was a tick though. My sister on the other hand was bitten by something a few years ago, she thinks it was a spider. There were multiple red rings extending far and she started having other reactions and needed hospitalization. They pumped her so full of anti-biotics(was on a drip for days), it left her digestive system screwy for months but at least she does not have Lyme disease now.

ericcholis 5y ago
Lint rollers after a hike/walk isn't a bad idea either.

thefz 5y ago

This is enormously good news for mountain bikers too.

ipqk 5y ago

For those of us with dark skin, the bullseye ring may be there but be imperceptible, making it even harder to diagnose.

hobo_mark 5y ago

Tall socks and trousers sure, but of course they'll get wherever. The only time I had one of them little suckers I only found out the next day... under my wristwatch!

pwenzel 5y ago

Here are a few pictures of a deer tick that bit me in 2020. I got pretty sick from it. Penny and ruler for scale: https://imgur.com/a/xgF5Zw2 https://imgur.com/a/xgF5Zw2 Its body quit tiny is just over 1mm in width. I got it either sitting in a field of grass that was a few inches tall, or walking through some brush for 5 minutes a Minneapolis park. I wasn't out doing anything exciting like hunting for morels in old growth forests.