4 ms·

> In most cases, a tick has to be attached for around 36 to 48 hours before the bacteria can be transmitted That's news to me.

goda90 3y ago
Tick gut bacteria takes awhile, but tick borne viruses that multiply in their salivary glands, like Powassan virus, are much faster. 15 minutes transmissions.
CharlesW 3y ago
I assume they're citing the CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/transmission/index.html https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/transmission/index.html
fooqux 3y ago
It's one of those "the risk goes up the longer it's attached" type things. I can't find studies, but I presume it looks like a bell curve. I know there's also a much higher risk of contracting diseases if you can't remove the tick in a careful way. If you smoosh it, or otherwise cause it enough distress that it regurgitates while still attached to you, that will also increase your chances. If you live in tick areas, get a tick kit, people. They're cheap. Don't do what my dad did and use pliers.
- bigbillheck 3y ago
  > It's one of those "the risk goes up the longer it's attached" type things. I presume it looks like a bell curve. These two statements contradict each other.
  - mjhay 3y ago
    Not if the GP is describing the rate of change of the probability of transmission as a bell curve. We can assume 0% transmission when the bite first occurs, and assume that chance gradually plateaus at some point. That would look like an S-shaped logistic curve, whose derivative is bell-shaped.
  - thehappypm 3y ago
    It doesn’t— Most tick bites take 36-48 hours before you get infected (bell hump). But sometimes you get infected quickly (left tail) and sometimes it takes longer (right tail).
    - happyopossum 3y ago
      That'd be an s-curve, as it's always going up - a bell curve goes up then down.
      - macintux 3y ago
        I suppose it depends on whether you’re charting the cumulative or the “instant” odds.
      - thehappypm 3y ago
        They’re the same thing; the bell curve is probability of being infected at time X specifically, and the S curve is the cumulative sum, that is, the probability you’ll have been infected by day X
jajko 3y ago
Its well known here for past decade. Maybe having wife working as a doctor helps, but this info is freely available. Also, if you ever interacted with any doctor with suspicion of a tick bite, this is first thing they ask. If you are outdoorsy type, this is should be around top of your list, just like knowing inside & out of say various mosquito-borne diseases and their spread vectors when traveling around.
thinkingtoilet 3y ago
I live in Western Massachusetts and I can confirm this is objectively false. We have a ton of ticks here. You won't get lyme if it's on you for a few hours but if you get one on you and go to sleep you can get it by the time you wake up. It's more the longer it's on the more likely it is, but you absolutely can get it if it's been attached for only 12-18 hours.
- thehappypm 3y ago
  How do you know? I also live in a tick area and typically when i have one tick on me, there are more if i look around for them.
  - xkcd-sucks 3y ago
    I realize there is confirmation bias here, but ticks always seem to cause pain and inflammation after being attached for a bit
  - thinkingtoilet 3y ago
    >How do you know? I've seen it happen multiple times, once to myself.
pwenzel 3y ago
Chronic lyme patient here, been bit twice. The first time a deer tick was attached to me for roughly 6-8 hours. I got really sick. Here's a couple pictures next to a ruler and a penny to show how tiny the tick was: https://imgur.com/7YpvzRb.jpg https://imgur.com/7YpvzRb.jpg https://imgur.com/b5sUUO3.jpg https://imgur.com/b5sUUO3.jpg
- bilsbie 3y ago
  Any treatments you’ve found to help? It’s a disaster trying to find info online.
  - voidmain0001 3y ago
    Doxycycline worked for my Lyme infection.
  - pwenzel 3y ago
    I have a local doctor in my area that specializes in Lyme care. Doxycycline, Minocycline, herbs, supplements, and sleep. I have also taken the path of acupuncture and medical cannabis for supplemental pain management. Overall I'm doing better now!
xkcd-sucks 3y ago
Central MA, also can confirm this is false. Possibly RMSF or something other than Lyme, but you can definitely get sick from non engorged nymphs.

goda90 3y ago

Tick gut bacteria takes awhile, but tick borne viruses that multiply in their salivary glands, like Powassan virus, are much faster. 15 minutes transmissions.

CharlesW 3y ago

I assume they're citing the CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/transmission/index.html https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/transmission/index.html

fooqux 3y ago

It's one of those "the risk goes up the longer it's attached" type things. I can't find studies, but I presume it looks like a bell curve. I know there's also a much higher risk of contracting diseases if you can't remove the tick in a careful way. If you smoosh it, or otherwise cause it enough distress that it regurgitates while still attached to you, that will also increase your chances. If you live in tick areas, get a tick kit, people. They're cheap. Don't do what my dad did and use pliers.

bigbillheck 3y ago
> It's one of those "the risk goes up the longer it's attached" type things. I presume it looks like a bell curve. These two statements contradict each other.
- mjhay 3y ago
  Not if the GP is describing the rate of change of the probability of transmission as a bell curve. We can assume 0% transmission when the bite first occurs, and assume that chance gradually plateaus at some point. That would look like an S-shaped logistic curve, whose derivative is bell-shaped.
- thehappypm 3y ago
  It doesn’t— Most tick bites take 36-48 hours before you get infected (bell hump). But sometimes you get infected quickly (left tail) and sometimes it takes longer (right tail).
  - happyopossum 3y ago
    That'd be an s-curve, as it's always going up - a bell curve goes up then down.
    - macintux 3y ago
      I suppose it depends on whether you’re charting the cumulative or the “instant” odds.
    - thehappypm 3y ago
      They’re the same thing; the bell curve is probability of being infected at time X specifically, and the S curve is the cumulative sum, that is, the probability you’ll have been infected by day X

jajko 3y ago

Its well known here for past decade. Maybe having wife working as a doctor helps, but this info is freely available. Also, if you ever interacted with any doctor with suspicion of a tick bite, this is first thing they ask. If you are outdoorsy type, this is should be around top of your list, just like knowing inside & out of say various mosquito-borne diseases and their spread vectors when traveling around.

thinkingtoilet 3y ago

I live in Western Massachusetts and I can confirm this is objectively false. We have a ton of ticks here. You won't get lyme if it's on you for a few hours but if you get one on you and go to sleep you can get it by the time you wake up. It's more the longer it's on the more likely it is, but you absolutely can get it if it's been attached for only 12-18 hours.

thehappypm 3y ago
How do you know? I also live in a tick area and typically when i have one tick on me, there are more if i look around for them.
- xkcd-sucks 3y ago
  I realize there is confirmation bias here, but ticks always seem to cause pain and inflammation after being attached for a bit
- thinkingtoilet 3y ago
  >How do you know? I've seen it happen multiple times, once to myself.

pwenzel 3y ago

Chronic lyme patient here, been bit twice. The first time a deer tick was attached to me for roughly 6-8 hours. I got really sick. Here's a couple pictures next to a ruler and a penny to show how tiny the tick was: https://imgur.com/7YpvzRb.jpg https://imgur.com/7YpvzRb.jpg https://imgur.com/b5sUUO3.jpg https://imgur.com/b5sUUO3.jpg

bilsbie 3y ago
Any treatments you’ve found to help? It’s a disaster trying to find info online.
- voidmain0001 3y ago
  Doxycycline worked for my Lyme infection.
- pwenzel 3y ago
  I have a local doctor in my area that specializes in Lyme care. Doxycycline, Minocycline, herbs, supplements, and sleep. I have also taken the path of acupuncture and medical cannabis for supplemental pain management. Overall I'm doing better now!

xkcd-sucks 3y ago

Central MA, also can confirm this is false. Possibly RMSF or something other than Lyme, but you can definitely get sick from non engorged nymphs.