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Experts predict more tick-borne illnesses
Tom Robertson, Minnesota Public Radio
July 17, 2007
Bemidji, MinnesotaThis could be another near-record summer for diseases carried by tiny deer ticks. Reported cases of Lyme disease in Minnesota have increased tenfold since the early 90s. The state now sees close to a thousand cases a year.
Though Lyme disease is still the most common tick-borne illness, state health officials say there's also a rise in two lesser known diseases carried by deer ticks.
Experts say the range of deer ticks is spreading across Minnesota. That means cases of disease will likely continue to climb.
When it comes to deer ticks, Hubbard County in northern Minnesota wasn't even on the map just a few years ago. Deer ticks were found mostly in east central Minnesota. But now the ticks can be found on Shirley and Dean Schmidt's 320-acre cattle and sheep farm near Laporte. They've lived here for close to 50 years.
Shirley remembers it was May 23 when she spotted a tiny tick on Dean while he was sleeping. She says it looked like it had been attached for a while.
"So I tried pulling it twice and I couldn't get it off," Shirley says. "And that woke him up. So he just pulled it off and threw it. But it was two days later that he ended up started getting sick."
Dean Schmidt suffered bouts of high fever, headaches and chills. He dropped 15 pounds in just a few days. Dean says he barely had enough energy to do his chores.
"Weak, tired, wanted to sleep, wanted to sit, wanted to do nothing..." says Dean. "And my legs were getting tired and numb. And I had to use the handrail coming up the steps. I was acting like an old man."
"Because of the small size of the nymph stage of the tick... less than one in five (people infected with Lyme disease) actually recall being exposed to a deer tick."
- Dr Brian Livermore
Dean Schmidt never got a bulls-eye rash or the joint pain commonly associated with Lyme disease.
But Bemidji physician Brian Livermore recognized Dean's symptoms and treated him successfully with antibiotics. Livermore says he used to see maybe one case of Lyme disease every couple of years. This summer he's already treated four cases. Livermore says plenty more have been treated by emergency room doctors.
"People who have infection that goes on more than a couple of weeks are usually getting concerned and come in complaining of the fevers, and have no recollection of a tick bite," said Livermore. "So because of the small size of the nymph stage of the tick... less than one in five actually recall being exposed to a deer tick."
Experts say milder winters and a thriving deer population are helping spread deer ticks northward. Dave Neitzel is an epidemiologist with the Minnesota Department of Health. He says as the state's population grows, more people are living and recreating in tick country.
"What we think is that throughout much of the forested parts of Minnesota that if they don't have deer ticks now, there's a good chance that they'll eventually get there to some degree," said Neitzel. "At this point, we don't see anything that will decrease the prevalence of these diseases."
Last year, 914 cases of Lyme disease were reported to the Department of Health. The state is also keeping track of two lesser known deer tick diseases.
There were 177 cases of an illness called human anaplasmosis, and a record 18 cases of a more rare ailment called babesiosis. Most of the cases were successfully treated. Left untreated, the diseases can cause chronic health problems and even death.
As a precaution, Neitzel recommends long pants and tick repellent when spending time in the woods. Check frequently for ticks and remove them promptly. Neitzel says most importantly, see a doctor early if you develop symptoms.
"Since most of the people that get these diseases are exposed from mid-May through mid-July, factor in a little bit of time for the disease to incubate, there's actually a lot of people that are probably starting to feel symptoms right about now," Neitzel said. "And so if you have symptoms now, go see your doctor, get it checked out."
Dogs can get tick-borne diseases, too. Some veterinarians in northern Minnesota say they're seeing a rise in the number of dogs brought in with symptoms of Lyme disease.
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Lyme disease not the only thing deer ticks cause
Minnesota Medical AssociationMINNEAPOLIS
May 8, 2007While Lyme disease is still Minnesota's most commonly reported tick-borne disease, deer ticks are the cause of two other diseases as well: human anaplasmosis and babesiosis.
These diseases are less common than Lyme disease, a Minnesota Derpartment of Health news release states, but they can still result in serious illness.
“We need Minnesotans to know that Lyme disease is not the only disease they can get from deer ticks,” said Melissa Kemperman, an epidemiologist at the MDH specializing in diseases carried by ticks and mosquitoes.
“The elderly or immune compromised are at particular risk for human anaplasmosis and babesiosis, which can result in hospitalization or even death.”
High numbers of all three diseases are being reported in Minnesota. In 2006, near-record totals of 914 Lyme disease cases and 177 human anaplasmosis cases were reported to MDH. Reports of babesiosis are more rare, but 2006 was still a record year, with 18 cases reported.
Deer ticks carry the bacteria that cause human anaplasmosis (HA), formerly called human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE). Symptoms of HA include abrupt onset of a high fever (102 degrees or more), chills, severe headache, and muscle aches. These symptoms appear between 1 and 3 weeks after an infectious tick bite. In 2006, about 40 percent of Minnesota’s human anaplasmosis cases were hospitalized for their infection. Untreated, HA can result in organ failure and death.
Deer ticks also carry a malaria-like parasite that causes babesiosis. Babesiosis is characterized by high fever, muscle aches, fatigue, headache, and loss of appetite. These symptoms usually appear 1-6 weeks after a deer tick bite, but may take longer in some individuals. Most people infected with the babesiosis parasite will have mild symptoms, or no symptoms at all. However, people who are immune compromised may develop severe illness. Babesiosis can be fatal. In the past five years, 3 reported babesiosis patients in Minnesota have died from their infection.
Deer ticks pass more than Lyme disease, health officials warn
Now is the time to prevent tick bites, protect yourself from three diseases, they say
Minnesota Department of HealthLyme disease is still the state’s most commonly reported tick-borne disease, but two other diseases—human anaplasmosis and babesiosis—can result from deer tick bites in Minnesota, warn state health officials.
These diseases are less common than Lyme disease, but can result in serious illness. “We need Minnesotans to know that Lyme disease is not the only disease they can get from deer ticks,” said Melissa Kemperman, an epidemiologist at the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) specializing in diseases carried by ticks and mosquitoes. “The elderly or immune compromised are at particular risk for human anaplasmosis and babesiosis, which can result in hospitalization or even death.”
Increasingly high numbers of all three deer tick-transmitted diseases are being reported in Minnesota. In 2006, near-record totals of 914 Lyme disease cases and 177 human anaplasmosis cases were reported to MDH. Reports of babesiosis are more rare, but 2006 was a record year with 18 reported cases.
The prime season for tick-borne disease begins in May, when weather becomes warmer and deer ticks begin to be most active. This puts Minnesotans in some parts of the state at risk for tick-borne diseases as they begin to enjoy outdoor activities in woody or brushy areas.
“The risk of being exposed to these illnesses is greatest between mid-May and mid-July,” said Kemperman. “It’s very important to take simple precautions to protect yourself from deer ticks and the three diseases they carry.”
Checking yourself for ticks is an important step in preventing disease. Because deer ticks can be difficult to see, Kemperman stressed the importance of also using a tick repellent, wearing long pants, and staying to the center of trails when spending time in deer tick habitat.
Deer ticks (also called blacklegged ticks) are found in woody, brushy areas in central and southeast Minnesota. Over the past few years, they have appeared to expand their range into areas north and west of the historically high-risk areas.
Although deer ticks are typically active from April through October, the weeks between mid-May and mid-July represent the period of greatest activity for the nymph stage of the tick. Nymphs are most likely to spread disease because they are very small and can feed without being detected.
Deer ticks are smaller and darker in color than the common wood ticks that people may also encounter this time of year. They also lack the wood tick’s characteristic white markings, and the back end of the female is reddish in appearance.
Deer ticks carry the bacteria that cause human anaplasmosis (HA), formerly called human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE). Symptoms of HA include abrupt onset of a high fever (102 degrees or more), chills, severe headache, and muscle aches. These symptoms appear between 1 and 3 weeks after an infectious tick bite. Although people of all ages can get HA, it is most severe in the elderly. In 2006, about 40% of Minnesota’s human anaplasmosis cases were hospitalized for their infection. If HA is untreated, it can result in organ failure and death.
Deer ticks also carry a malaria-like parasite that causes babesiosis. Babesiosis is characterized by high fever, muscle aches, fatigue, headache, and loss of appetite. These symptoms usually appear 1-6 weeks after a deer tick bite, but may take longer in some individuals. Most people infected with the babesiosis parasite will have mild symptoms, or no symptoms at all. However, people who are immune compromised may develop severe illness. Babesiosis can be fatal. In the past five years, 3 reported babesiosis patients in Minnesota have died from their infection.
Lyme disease symptoms include a bulls-eye rash, fever, headache, chills, muscle pain, and joint pain. The bulls-eye rash, one of the earliest symptoms, typically appears between 3 and 30 days after the tick bite. Not everyone with Lyme disease develops the rash. Some people can develop two or more of these diseases at the same time.
If you develop signs or symptoms of a tick-related illness after spending time in deer tick habitat, you should see a physician right away. Lyme disease and human anaplasmosis can be treated with an antibiotic, and babesiosis is treated with anti-protozoal medications. Early diagnosis and treatment are important in preventing severe illness.
Not all deer ticks carry the organisms that cause Lyme disease, human anaplasmosis, or babesiosis. If an infected deer tick bites you, it needs to be attached at least 12-24 hours to transmit the human anaplasmosis bacteria and 24-48 hours to transmit the Lyme disease bacteria. Not every person who is infected with these organisms will develop symptoms.
It is best to avoid tick bites altogether. To protect yourself from deer ticks, health officials suggest that you:
- Know when you’re in tick habitat—brushy, wooded areas—where you will need to take precautions.
- Use a good tick repellent, such as a product containing permethrin or DEET, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Wear clothes that will help to shield you from ticks. Long-sleeved shirts and long pants are best. Tuck your pants into the top of your socks or boots to create a “tick barrier.”
- Check frequently for ticks and remove them promptly.
- Remove the tick slowly and gently using a pair of tweezers. Folk remedies like Vaseline, nail polish remover, or matches are not safe or effective methods of tick removal.
More information about Minnesota’s tick-borne diseases is available on the MDH website (www.health.state.mn.us) or by calling MDH at (651) 201-5414.
© 2006 The National Lyme Disease Memorial Park Project
