![]() “Tick-borne disease should be on the radar for physicians who are not always cognizant that Lyme disease is present in the Bay Area,” said lead author Dan Salkeld, a research scientist at Colorado State University and former lecturer at Stanford who started the research while at the Stanford Woods Institute. The authors caution, however, that the statistical association is too weak to serve as a basis for targeted preventive public health policies and awareness campaigns. Also, tick-borne disease exposure appears highest in coast live oak-dominated woodlands. miyamotoi and Borrelia burgdorferi, which causes Lyme disease. However, tick-borne disease risk appears to be higher in redwood forests than previously believed.Īlthough ticks are found in lower densities among redwoods than some other habitats, they are consistently present and harbor B. The research, published in PLOS ONE, found the density of non-infected ticks, infected ticks and disease risk varies widely and unpredictably among different habitats (e.g., coast live oak, redwood, grassland) and geographic areas. ![]() “Users of recreation areas in the Bay Area need to know the risk of tick-borne diseases such as Lyme is real, and not limited to other parts of the country,” said co-author Eric Lambin, the George and Setsuko Ishiyama Provostial Professor in the School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences and a senior fellow at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. Nymphal ticks are much smaller than adult ticks and thus are less likely to be discovered when they hitch themselves onto humans walking outdoors. The corkscrew-shaped bacteria produce Lyme disease-like symptoms. After bringing the ticks to a lab, the researchers extracted and analyzed their DNA.Īmong other surprising discoveries, they found that a higher percentage of nymphal (young) ticks were infected with the bacteria Borrelia miyamotoi, a recently discovered human pathogen, than on the East Coast. The scientists collected 622 ticks (typically western black-legged ticks) from 20 sites in recreational areas from Sonoma County in the north to Santa Cruz County in the south by dragging white flannel blankets along the vegetation and leaf clutter. The San Francisco Bay Area’s broad swaths of trail-lined open space hold higher risks of tick-borne disease than previously thought, according to a new study by Stanford researchers. Learn more about the symptoms of Lyme disease from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).By Rob Jordan, Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment Most cases of Lyme or other tick-borne diseases can be treated successfully with a few weeks of antibiotics. If you have symptoms or signs of Lyme disease or another tick-borne illness, see your doctor – even if you don’t remember being bitten by a tick. Practice tick-free landscaping, use repellent and do a tick check when coming in from outdoors. Other tick-borne spotted fever rickettsial infections.Īvoiding ticks is the best defense against Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections.Southern tick associated rash illness (STARI).Ticks can cause other illnesses, including: Within 24 hours of removing the tick, the paralysis typically subsides. The symptoms include acute, ascending, flaccid paralysis that is often confused with other neurologic disorders or diseases (e.g., Guillain-Barré syndrome or botulism). Tick paralysis is a rare disease thought to be caused by a toxin in tick saliva. More information about Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses is available in the Health Department’s Communicable Disease report. Tick-borne disease cases are reported geographically throughout Fairfax County so all residents should be considered at risk of infection. In Virginia, as well as the U.S., the most commonly reported tick-borne illness is Lyme disease, followed distantly by spotted fever group rickettsiosis, ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis. Lyme Disease Occurrence in Fairfax County (Only 70 to 80 percent of people with Lyme disease get this rash.) ![]() There are many Lyme disease symptoms, but not everyone has all of them: Only the blacklegged tick transmits the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. Fairfax County Health Department provides a free tick identification service. Lyme disease is spread through the bite of an infected blacklegged tick (also known as a deer tick). If left untreated, the disease can spread to joints, the heart and the nervous system. Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that can cause fever, headache, fatigue and a characteristic skin rash. Lyme disease is the most commonly-reported tick-borne disease in our area. Prevention should be on everyone’s mind, particularly during the spring, summer and early fall when ticks are most active. Tick-borne diseases are on the rise and present throughout our region.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |