The outdoor season is about to go into full bloom in Wisconsin, but those outdoors we all want to enjoy come with precautions. Besides water safety, sunscreen and other hazards, another in particular can have lifelong effects: Lyme Disease. The illness, the result of a bacteria carried in the bite of a deer tick, can result in long-term complications that are still being researched. But awareness is the first-line defense and it’s in the hands of everyone who goes outdoors.
Deer ticks can be only the size of a poppy seed, and are common in Wisconsin’s woodlands and grasslands. They’ll latch onto a prospective host, find a spot on the skin and begin feeding on blood. In the process, Lyme Disease bacteria can be transmitted to the victim, but that can be prevented with prompt removal, nearly always entirely effective if done before 36 hours have elapsed. Getting a proper and timely antibiotic after a bite can prevent long-term effects. Otherwise, a bullseye-like rash can appear followed by fever, joint pain and fatigue within several days to weeks.
Marshfield Clinics researchers examining ticks over the past several years have found that 51% of Wisconsin deer ticks tested positive for the Borrelia burgdorferi organism responsible for Lyme disease. At least four other pathogens were also detected.
Researchers said they still encourage enjoyment of the outdoors, but with awareness that hazards have always been present, and individuals need to know how to handle such things as a tick bite. The Marshfield Clinic Research Institute is offering a pre-paid collection kit to be sent to you, designed to receive a tick – whether from human or pet, and dead or alive – for testing for disease. Each kit comes with a unique ID number that can be used to look up results online. To receive one, contact tics@marshfieldclinic.org, or phone 1-715-389-7796 ext 16462.
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