SURVEY SHOWS INCREASE IN LYME DISEASE TICKS.Byline: Krystn Shrieve Staff Writer VENTURA - Ventura County environmental health officials are warning residents to be alert of an increased number of Western black-legged ticks black-legged tick see ixodes. which can transmit Lyme disease Lyme disease, a nonfatal bacterial infection that causes symptoms ranging from fever and headache to a painful swelling of the joints. The first American case of Lyme's characteristic rash was documented in 1970 and the disease was first identified in a cluster at . Randy Smith Randy Smith can refer to any of the following people:
``We pick areas that seem to be environmentally conducive to this type of tick and drag a piece of flannel flannel, large group of napped plain-weave or twill-weave fabrics made of cotton, wool, or man-made fibers. Flannel fabrics vary in closeness or firmness of weave and in degree of napping. across the brush and grass,'' Smith said. ``It's like an animal running along the trail,'' Smith said. ``The ticks become excited and attach to whatever brushes against them. Every 5 or 10 feet we pick it up to check for ticks.'' Lyme disease is an infection caused by a bacteria which can get into the blood stream. Early symptoms may include a rash accompanied by flu- like symptoms such as fatigue, chills, fever and aching muscles and joints. If the disease is not treated with antibiotics arthritis and complications related to the heart and nervous system may occur. Last year, 139 suspected Lyme disease cases were reported in California, records show. Ventura County had one confirmed case of Lyme disease last year and two confirmed cases in 1998. Ticks can be found in areas that are routinely irrigated such as golf courses and parks. They climb to the tips of vegetation adjacent to trails and paths and wait for an animal or human to brush against them. Immature ticks, called nymphs, can also be found on the ground in leaves. ``In most rural areas you can find ticks,'' Smith said. ``You can also find them in coastal canyons or canyons that have water running through them. The ticks like the higher humidity.'' The immature tick is the size of a poppy poppy, common name for some members of the Papaveraceae, a family composed chiefly of herbs of the Northern Hemisphere having a characteristic milky or colored sap. seed, the adult tick is about a quarter inch long. Smith said if a person or pet has been bitten by a tick it should be removed preferably with forceps by grasping the tick as close to the skin as possible and pulling it straight out in a firm, steady motion. The infected area should be washed thoroughly. Richard Davis
``When we have a pheonomenon like El Nino we think of immediate effects such as floods,'' Davis said. ``Because ticks can take two or three years to develop, the ticks born in these conditions are now adults.'' A CLOSER LOOK To prevent tick bites: --Wear light-colored, long pants and long-sleeved shirts. Tuck shirts into pants and pants into socks. --Use a repellent re·pel·lent adj. Capable of driving off or repelling. n. A substance used to drive off or keep away insects. repellent able to repel or drive off; also, an agent that repels. Refers usually to insect repellent. registered for use against ticks. --Walk in the center of trails. Avoid brush and grassy grass·y adj. grass·i·er, grass·i·est 1. Covered with or abounding in grass. 2. Resembling or suggestive of grass, as in color or odor. Adj. 1. areas. --For more information, call (805) 654-2816 Source: Ventura County Environmental Health Division CAPTION(S): box Box: A CLOSER LOOK (see text) |
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