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Insect Problems and Diseases
Colorado
Tick
Hazards:
There
are
almost
30
tick
borne
and
transmitted
diseases,
enough
that
you
should
visit
the
Colorado
Tick-Borne
Disease
Awareness
Association’s
website
for
full
details.
Monica
White’s
entire
family
is
still
suffering
the
after
effects
of
Lyme
disease
that
went
undiagnosed
for
seven
years.
There are four dominant tick borne diseases, and one condition in Colorado:
Rocky Mountain Tick Fever
Colorado Tick Fever
Tularema
Relapsing Fever
A condition known as Tick Paralysis, which can lead to temporary paralysis and even death.
The
White
Star
tick
is
being
introduced
into
Colorado
by
animals.
It
can
carry
and
transmit
other
diseases.
One
is
an
apocalypse
for
meat
eating
hunters.
The
White
Star
tick
can
transfer
an
enzyme
that
initiates an allergy to meats.
The
Potassan
Virus
is
was
identified
in
Cache
La
Poudre
River
area
ticks
in
1957,
but
apparently
is
not
easily transmitted to humans. It causes 10% fatality if contracted.
Ticks
that
are
remove
within
three
hours
generally
did
not
have
time
to
transmit
diseases.
Always
check
for
ticks
a
t
bead
time.
Summer
and
early
big
game
archery
hunters
are
most
likely
to
encounter
ticks.
Ticks are largely dormant in later seasons.
Ticks
can
transmit
over
twenty
pathogens
to
pets,
livestock
and
humans.
Symptoms
are
often
vague
and
dismissed
as
just
a
bout
with
“what’s
going
around”.
Tick
exposure
is
generally
greater
in
the
warm
summer
months.
Ticks
can
detect
body
odor,
transpired
carbon
dioxide,
body
heat,
and
vibration
to
detect
prey.
Insect
repellents
have
varying
success
in
fending
off
ticks.
Wearing
Permithrin
treated
clothing
is
the
most
effective
deterrent
to
tick
exposure.
Permethrin
is
a
choice
for
hunters.
It
is
odorless
and flame resistant after it dries, and lingers long in clothing even after several washings.
Please
visit
www.coloradoticks.org
for
more
information
on
limiting
exposure,
and
symptoms
of
tick
diseases.
Testing and the Progression of Lyme disease: We have a friend whose son contracted Lyme
Disease. It was unfortunate that doctors did not (were not able) to diagnose the disease earlier.
Wile the disease goes into submission, it has not been able to cure the victim. This review is
intended to disclose that the disease is not easy to identify. A critical point is that there is a time
window for testing. Test done too soon will not disclose bacterium, and testing too late may occur
after the bacteria have spread to all body organs where is is impossible to eradicate.
Certain ticks carry the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. The disease is largely unnoticed for
the first three weeks, except for the characteristic “bull’s eye” rash around the tick wound.
These are the sequences of infection events:
1. The tick must inbed its head and remain in the skin flesh for 36 to 48 hours to transfer the
bacteria to the host.
2. In three to thirty days the bacteria multiply and spread in the skin and form the “bull’s
eye“ rash. Symptoms of chills, fever, muscle pain, headaches appear and worsen.
3. In days to weeks the bacteria enter blood vessels and are circulated through the body.
The body reacts by forming antibodies.
4. Three weeks and longer of infection permit testing; earlier testing may be inconclusive,
or negative results which create overconfidence of not having Lyme Disease, or that it is
being cured.
5. Weeks to months after initial infection, the bacteria enter other tissues, including the
heart, and facial muscles which develop palsy.
6. Many months on into many years the bacteria continue infecting other body parts and
organs, the nervous system, joints, and the skin. Chronic fatigue, constant flu-like pain and
contagion of other maladies because of a compromised immune system compound the
suffering without treatment. The degree and development speed of Lyme infection vary
considerably from person to person.
Unfortunately, many Lyme disease victims are never recognized for years. The bacterium
cannot be seen in blood samples. Half of the two-part tests developed in the 1990’s for
Lyme disease do not detect the bacterium or the antibody response. Many doctors are
unfamiliar with Lyme disease, and insurance companies wage legal battles to not pay for
testing and treatment of undiagnosed illnesses, no matter how severely the patient suffers.
Researchers at Brown University and the Global Lyme Alliance in Stamford, Connecticut
estimate two million Americans will contract Lyme disease in 2020. Unfortunately, many of
these people will not be correctly diagnosed and they will seek alternative therapy, which
may prove disastrous to their health.
Treatment with antibiotics is most effective during the earliest phase of infection – right
when testing is not reliable.
Bottom line warning: make sure you are tested after three weeks of suspected infection and
symptoms onset. In addition, do not rely on a single test if symptoms persist or worsen.
Laura Bell, Science News June 22, 2019, p22-26
White Star Tick’s Meat Allergy: The bite of the white star tick can lead to a meat-eating
allergy called alpha-gal. The allergy does not occur relatively soon after contact with
allergens like peanut butter, wheat, soy, etc., but three to four hours after meat ingestion.
Thus, the reaction can be confused with other problems such as food poisoning or
indigestion. While most alpha-gal allergic humans react to ingesting mammal meat, some
develop the rashes and intense itching from eating mammal products like milk or even
medicine gelatin capsules. Ticks are most active in the spring when they must eat blood
to survive. Thus, spring turkey hunters are at more risk than fall hunters are. Unfortunately,
hunters allergic to spring pollen blooms may overlook the possibility of Lyme and White
Star diseases.