{"id":684,"date":"2016-04-26T15:41:54","date_gmt":"2016-04-26T15:41:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.crosshairscommunity.com\/?p=684"},"modified":"2016-04-26T15:41:54","modified_gmt":"2016-04-26T15:41:54","slug":"tick-numbers-on-the-rise-after-mild-winter-early-spring","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crosshairscommunity.com\/?p=684","title":{"rendered":"Tick numbers on the rise after mild winter, early spring"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"burrowtick\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The number of tiny blood-sucking parasites that can carry a variety of illnesses \u2014 including Lyme disease \u2014 have been on the rise in the area over the past several years.<\/p>\n

But a mild winter combined with an early spring may be the perfect combination for the local tick population to really take off in 2016, according to local naturalist Jon Beam.<\/p>\n

\u201cStudies suggest we need six consecutive weeks of frigid conditions to really knock back the tick population, and we just didn\u2019t have that this winter,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve personally come across a half-dozen of them already this year on me or the dogs. We were picking them up in March, which is unusual.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Elam Stoltzfus, of Lewisburg Pediatrics, has noticed the trend, as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve already seen several kids come in with ticks on them \u2014 and a few cases of Lyme disease \u2014 so far this spring,\u201d he said. \u201cIn fact, I\u2019ve had to remove four ticks from myself already this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kim Van Horn, of Watsontown, who was diagnosed with Lyme disease four years ago, said that while she hasn\u2019t seen any ticks yet on the family\u2019s organic grain farming operation, her daughter, who lives nearby, has.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe started finding ticks on her cats and dogs in March,\u201d Van Horn admitted. \u201cThey are really prevalent in the area, and showing up much earlier than normal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beam said the area has already seen a gradual increase in ticks over the 25 years since he started working at the Montour Preserve, near Washingtonville.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ve really grown. During my first five or six years at the preserve, no one ever got ticks \u2014 not even the guys working there or myself,\u201d he said. \u201cThen, we\u2019d start to find an occasional tick on us. And then, tick sightings became a lot more frequent.\u201d<\/p>\n

He feels a variety of factors have affected the increase.<\/p>\n

\u201cPart of it is that we have shorter, warmer winters overall. That is a major part of it,\u201d he said. \u201cTicks also don\u2019t have major natural predators. It allows the population to keep growing and pushing out into new areas.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lyme concerns<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cLyme Disease is a bacterial infection,\u201d said Dr. Lisa Esolen, system medical director of infection prevention and control for Geisinger Health System. \u201cThe bacteria is transmitted from the bite of a deer tick \u2014 not other ticks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not all deer ticks carry the Lyme Disease bacteria, and according to Dr. Stoltzfus, it can take quite a while for an infected tick to transmit the disease.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt takes at least 48 to 72 hours after the tick first comes in contact with the skin. The tick ingests blood from the person, and it inadvertently regurgitates some of the bacteria into the blood stream,\u201d he said. \u201cIf we get a kid who\u2019s been exposed to a tick for 12 to 24 hours, there is practically no risk that they have Lyme Disease. A lot of people panic when they see a tick on their skin, but there usually isn\u2019t a reason to panic.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lyme Disease has been known to cause a variety of symptoms in people depending on how long they have been infected.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter first being exposed, you may feel a fever, fatigue and achiness like you are coming down with something. A bullseye-like skin rash may develop in about 70 percent of cases,\u201d said Dr. Esolen. \u201cLyme Disease can also affect the joints and nervous system. Joints can become swollen, painful and red. In some cases, it can also cause bells palsy, where part of your face can become paralyzed.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, there is no need to fear the outdoors, according to Dr. Esolen.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith proper precautions there is very little to worry about in regards to Lyme disease,\u201d she said. \u201cThere are more health benefits of kids playing outdoors than there are concerns of Lyme disease. It preventable, completely treatable and curable if someone does get it. That\u2019s what people need to remember.\u201d<\/p>\n

Be vigilant<\/strong><\/p>\n

The key to preventing Lyme disease is to avoid being bitten by a tick, which means being proactive.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you are out and about, especially in high grass or brushy areas, always do a full-body check afterward,\u201d said Beam. \u201cWear light-colored clothing, which makes ticks easier to see. Tuck your trousers into the top of your socks to help prevent them from getting on your skin.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Stoltzfus agrees with a proactive approach.<\/p>\n

\u201cI strongly recommend people use insect repellent before going into the woods. There are some good repellents out there as long as you use them appropriately. Also, cover your skin and make yourself less accessible to the ticks,\u201d he said. \u201cThis year, especially, people need to be alert to the tick situation. They need to check their children over, especially if they were in brushy or wooded areas.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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