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Paul</div><div><br></div><div><br><div><div>On May 28, 2008, at 4:30 PM, David &amp; Alison Webster wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite">Hi Jim &amp; Andrew, &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbs
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--Boundary_(ID_ClXSJYPj7Vo4tvYMCmwzsA)
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Hi All, Working in both a vet clinic and having my wildlife rehab centre at
home, even this far into the season, we are seeing more ticks than ever.
Just my 2 cents
Helene
-----Original Message-----
From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca
[mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca]On Behalf Of E. Pike
Sent: Saturday, May 31, 2008 9:46 PM
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
Subject: [NatureNS] NatureNS] Tick warning
Hi Terry:
I though you might find this observation useful.
If you go out in the woods today, you're in for a big surprise. Ten
species of ticks have been discovered in NS.
"Paul S. Boyer" <psboyer@eastlink.ca> wrote:
The tick you report (Dermocentor variabilis) is spread and encouraged by
dog ownership, sorry to say. You should learn to recognize it: males and
females look quite different.
It is the commonest carrier of the dreaded Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever,
a rickettsial infection with a discouragingly high fatality rate (roughly 5
to 30% in untreated cases). The disease is rare, and I don't know whether
it has been reported from Nova Scotia — but that in itself makes it more
dangerous should you contract it, because the local doctors may be
unfamiliar with the symptoms. Many doctors have never seen a case, even in
areas where it is relatively abundant (such as eastern Massachusetts).
Dog ticks will readily bite humans, but generally they crawl around a
bit, prospecting (as it were) before they dig in. Therefore, a good
practice is to strip down completely after being out in woods or grasslands,
and have someone inspect you thoroughly. (This is where friendship counts!)
The ticks can be killed simply by dropping them into a jar of water with a
small amount of wetting agent (soap or detergent). The tick will fall to
the bottom of the jar and drown after a few hours. It is not necessary to
use kerosene to kill the ticks (which is an old country practice, but
introduces its own dangers).
After handling ticks, wash your hands well, for the rickettsia can be
transmitted by contact, particularly contact with mangled ticks.
The treatment for Rock Mountain Spotted Fever is very simple, cheap, and
effective. The problem is getting the physician to recognize the symptoms
in time. There should be no delay.
There is a good Wikipedia article here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocky_Mountain_spotted_fever
The only inaccuracy in the article is its implication that treatment had
to await the discovery of some antibiotics in the 1940s. Actually, the
antibiotics were available long before anyone tried them on the disease.
The treatment discovery was made by a country doctor who found a case, and
not seeing any remedy listed in his reference books, tried tetracycline as a
shot-in-the-dark. It worked. No one had realized that earlier, because
rickettsial organisms could not be cultured in the lab.
— Paul
On May 28, 2008, at 4:30 PM, David & Alison Webster wrote:
Hi Jim & Andrew, May 28, 2008
Thanks for the advice. I took them in to Natural Resources and was
assured that all were American Dog Tick. There turned out to be a third.
After having searched myself twice last evening I found one on my leg this
morning.
A while back someone got upset by a fly in their bottled water. I
wonder what the reaction to a cupfull of ticks in a sleeping bag would be ?
For everyone else, please remember that unidentified ticks should be
turned in if possible. to the Museum. Put them in a small pill bottle with
a bit of moist paper towel, or just Scotch-tape them to a piece of paper.
There are at least 10 kinds of ticks in Nova Scotia, and the
authorities are still interested in the distribution and abundance
particularly of the black-legged or deer tick which carries the bacterium
that causes Lyme disease.
--Boundary_(ID_ClXSJYPj7Vo4tvYMCmwzsA)
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<BODY>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D984133016-01062008><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff =
size=3D2>Hi=20
All, Working in both a vet clinic and having my wildlife rehab centre at =
home,=20
even this far into the season, we are seeing more ticks than=20
ever.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D984133016-01062008><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff =
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D984133016-01062008><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff =
size=3D2>Just=20
my 2 cents</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D984133016-01062008><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff =
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D984133016-01062008><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff =
size=3D2>Helene</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV class=3DOutlookMessageHeader dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><FONT =
face=3DTahoma=20
size=3D2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B>=20
naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca =
[mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca]<B>On=20
Behalf Of </B>E. Pike<BR><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, May 31, 2008 9:46=20
PM<BR><B>To:</B> naturens@chebucto.ns.ca<BR><B>Subject:</B> [NatureNS] =
NatureNS] Tick warning<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>Hi Terry:<BR><BR>I though =
you =20
might find this observation useful. <BR>If you go out in the woods =
today,=20
you're in for a big surprise. Ten species of ticks have been =
discovered=20
in NS.<BR><BR><B><I>"Paul S. Boyer" =
<psboyer@eastlink.ca></I></B> wrote:
<BLOCKQUOTE class=3Dreplbq=20
style=3D"PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: =
rgb(16,16,255) 2px solid">The=20
tick you report (<I>Dermocentor variabilis</I>) is spread and =
encouraged by=20
dog ownership, sorry to say. You should learn to recognize it: =
males=20
and females look quite different.
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>It is the commonest carrier of the dreaded Rocky Mountain =
Spotted=20
Fever, a rickettsial infection with a discouragingly high fatality =
rate=20
(roughly 5 to 30% in untreated cases). The disease is rare, =
and I=20
don't know whether it has been reported from Nova Scotia =97 but =
that in=20
itself makes it more dangerous should you contract it, because the =
local=20
doctors may be unfamiliar with the symptoms. Many doctors have =
never=20
seen a case, even in areas where it is relatively abundant (such as =
eastern=20
Massachusetts).
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Dog ticks will readily bite humans, but generally they crawl =
around a=20
bit, prospecting (as it were) before they dig in. Therefore, a =
good=20
practice is to strip down completely after being out in woods or =
grasslands,=20
and have someone inspect you thoroughly. (This is where =
friendship=20
counts!) The ticks can be killed simply by dropping them into =
a jar of=20
water with a small amount of wetting agent (soap or detergent). =
The=20
tick will fall to the bottom of the jar and drown after a few hours. =
It is not necessary to use kerosene to kill the ticks (which =
is an old=20
country practice, but introduces its own dangers).</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>After handling ticks, wash your hands well, for the rickettsia =
can be=20
transmitted by contact, particularly contact with mangled =
ticks.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>The treatment for Rock Mountain Spotted Fever is very simple, =
cheap,=20
and effective. The problem is getting the physician to =
recognize the=20
symptoms in time. <I>There should be no delay.</I></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>There is a good Wikipedia article here: <A=20
=
href=3D"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocky_Mountain_spotted_fever">http:/=
/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocky_Mountain_spotted_fever</A></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>The only inaccuracy in the article is its implication that =
treatment=20
had to await the discovery of some antibiotics in the 1940s. =
Actually,=20
the antibiotics were available long before anyone tried them on the =
disease.=20
The treatment discovery was made by a country doctor who found =
a case,=20
and not seeing any remedy listed in his reference books, tried =
tetracycline=20
as a shot-in-the-dark. It worked. No one had realized =
that=20
earlier, because rickettsial organisms could not be cultured in the=20
lab. </DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>=97 Paul</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><BR>
<DIV>
<DIV>On May 28, 2008, at 4:30 PM, David & Alison Webster =
wrote:</DIV><BR=20
class=3DApple-interchange-newline>
<BLOCKQUOTE type=3D"cite">Hi Jim & Andrew,=20
=
May =
28,=20
2008<BR> Thanks for the advice. I took them in to Natural =
Resources=20
and was assured that all were American Dog Tick. There turned out =
to be a=20
third. After having searched myself twice last evening I found one =
on my=20
leg this morning.<BR><BR> A while back someone got =
upset by a=20
fly in their bottled water. I wonder what the reaction to a =
cupfull of=20
ticks in a sleeping bag would be ?<BR><BR><BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE type=3D"cite">For everyone else, please remember that=20
unidentified ticks should be turned in if possible. to the =
Museum. Put them in a small pill bottle with a bit of =
moist=20
paper towel, or just Scotch-tape them to a piece of=20
paper.<BR></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE type=3D"cite">There are at least 10 kinds of ticks in =
Nova=20
Scotia, and the authorities are still interested in the=20
distribution and abundance particularly of the =
black-legged or=20
deer tick which carries the bacterium that causes Lyme=20
=
disease.<BR></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>=
<BR><BR></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
--Boundary_(ID_ClXSJYPj7Vo4tvYMCmwzsA)--
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