LOCAL

Ticks coming early, fast and furious in Pa.

Joyce Nowell
jnowell@herald-mail.com

GREENCASTLE, Pa. — Veterinarian Daniel Oliver diagnosed his first case of Lyme disease in a dog this season last Saturday.

“The dog had a mild to moderate fever, was achy and sore and was not eating. He was not acting himself,” said Oliver, who is part of a six-doctor team at Greencastle Veterinary Hospital. “Our in-house test for exposure to Lyme disease was positive.

“Ticks, which are the main transmitters of Lyme, are a real problem. We end up treating a couple of clinical Lyme cases every month just in our practice.”

The April case was early, according to Oliver, and likely related to a mild winter. So there's been an early start to what will be a long season. It's also a flag for people to be on alert for tick exposure as well.

“Whether it's animals that come in and they have a tick or tick bite that the owners want us to look at, we've been pulling them off dogs here for probably at least a month,” Oliver said. “It starts off at a trickle, but it gets more and more.

“It's a little sooner than normal and a little more rapid rise than typically. With the winter being a little bit milder there wasn't quite as strong of a kill-off as previous years. So far it seems to be a heavier tick year than in the past.”

According to Steve Jacobs of Penn State Extension, the insect most commonly associated with Lyme disease is the blacklegged tick, which can be found in temperate regions that may have periods of very low or high temperature and a constant high relative humidity at ground level.

“The mid-Atlantic area up to New England is just rich with ticks that carry Lyme,” said Oliver. “That's the area we live in.

“Ticks are a real concern and especially Lyme disease in this area is a real concern for dogs.”

Oliver said even outdoor cats are not as much at risk because felines are such good self-groomers that they will pick the ticks off of themselves.

For dogs, the best prevention for ticks and tick-borne disease is to use a combination of the Lyme vaccine and a flea and tick preventative, Oliver said.

“It's not 100 percent, but it does a great job,” he said.

“Based on the math and the physiology of how Lyme disease is spread and how long a tick has to attach, in theory the flea and tick preventatives you get for the vet should kill a tick before it's able to spread Lyme disease," Oliver said.

Oliver noted that while there is no human Lyme vaccine on the market, a canine companion could be a help in diagnosis. Heartworm tests on dogs can show exposure to Lyme even in an animal that is not infected with it.

“It lets you know that your dog is in an area where it's exposed to Lyme disease and if you're with your dog you might have exposure to Lyme disease,” he explained.

“If you're having symptoms, it might be worthwhile to say my dog has antibodies to Lyme disease. Dogs are one of the best sentinels we have for Lyme exposure around us," Oliver said.

Tick
Lyme disease

Steve Jacobs of Penn State Extension suggested the following precautions to decrease the chances of being bitten by a tick:

• Avoid tick-infested areas, especially in May, June, and July.

• Wear light-colored clothing so that ticks can be spotted more easily.

• Tuck pant legs into socks or boots and shirt into pants.

• Tape the area where pants and socks meet so that ticks cannot crawl under clothing.

• Spray insect repellent containing DEET on clothes and on exposed skin other than the face, or treat clothes (especially pants, socks and shoes) with permethrin, which kills ticks on contact.

• Wear a hat and a long-sleeved shirt for added protection.

• Walk in the center of trails to avoid overhanging grass and brush.

Source: Insect Advice from Penn State Extension, Lyme Disease