posted
The magazine is published by the CT Dept. of Environmental Protection.
Ticks Can Transmit More than Just Lyme Disease
If you read the may/June 2007 issue of Connecticut Wildlife, you would have learned about Lyme disease: what it is, how it is transmitted, the symptoms, and how to protect yourself. Lyme disease is a concern for those who spend time outdoors in areas where black-legged ticks (also known as deer ticks) are prevalent. It is important to know that the deer tick can transmit other disease organisms in addition to the one that causes Lyme disease, most notably human ehrlichiosis and human babesiosis. Both of these diseases are not as common as Lyme disease, but they cause serious complications in some cases.
Human Ehrlichiosis Ehrlichiosis is a disease of both animals and humans caused by several bacteria in the genus Ehrlichia and Anaplasma. Two main forms of ehrlichiosis in humans are currently recognized in the United States: human monocytic ehrlichiosis (HME), caused by Ehrlichia chaffeensis, and human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HE), caused by Anaplasma phagocytophila.
HME was first described in the mid-1980s. The lone star tick is the vector for the bacteria that causes HME. White-tailed deer, a major host for this tick, is a reservoir host for the bacteria. Lone star ticks are uncommon in Connecticut. People living mainly in coastal communities in Fairfield and New Haven Counties are occasionally bitten by these ticks.
HGE was first reported from Wisconsin and Minnesota in 1994. Most cases of HE have been reported from states where Lyme disease is highly endemic (such as Connecticut). The black-legged (deer) tick is the principal vector in the northeastern and upper midwestern states. White-footed mice, and possibly deer, are reservoirs for the bacteria. Most cases of HGE and HME occur during the summer in May, June, and July.
The symptoms of ehrlichiosis may resemble symptoms of various other infectious and non-infectious diseases. Nonspecific signs and symptoms generally include fever, headache, fatigue, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cough, joint pains, confusion, and occasionally rash. Symptoms typically appear after an incubation period of five to 10 days following the tick bite. It is possible that many individuals who become infected do not become ill or they develop only very mild symptoms. However, fatalities do occur and treatment with antibiotics (Doxycycline) should be started promptly. Although all age groups may be affected, the number of cases increases with age.
A diagnosis of ehrlichiosis is based on a combination of clinical signs and symptoms and laboratory tests, including low white blood cell count, low platelet count, and elevated liver enzymes. Both HE and HME have been reportable diseases in CT since 1995. Co-infections by the HE and Lyme disease agents have been reported and may result in more severe cases and complicate the diagnosis of Lyme disease.
Human Babesiosis Babesiosis is a rare, sever, and sometimes fatal tick-borne disease caused by various types of Babesia, a microscopic parasite that infects red blood cells. The protozoan is spread principally by the bite of the black-legged (deer) tick. White-footed mice carry this parasite. The majority of human cases occur in June, July, and August. The first Connecticut case of human babesiosis was reported from Stonington in 1988.
Laboratory diagnosis is based on identifying the parasite in red blood cells. Sign and symptoms include fever, fatigue, chills, sweats, headache, and muscle pain, beginning usually one to six weeks after the tick bite. It can take from one to 12 months for the first symptoms to appear, but less time for persons with weakened immune systems. Infections can occur without producing symptoms or only mild symptoms in healthy children and adults, although all ages can be severely affected. Babesiosis can be severe or fatal in immunocompromised individuals, the elderly, and people without spleens. Death has been reported in five percent of the cases. Co-infections with the agents of ehrlichiosis or Lyme disease can result in more sever or prolonged illness and overlapping symptoms.
Complications include very low blood pressure, liver problems, severe hemolytic anemia (a breakdown of red blood cells), and kidney failure. Complications and death are most common in persons whose spleens have been removed. Other people usually have a milder illness and often get better on their own. Standardized treatments for babesiosis have not been developed. However, some drugs used in the treatment of malaria have been found to be effective in some patients.
Posts: 97 | From Clinton, CT | Registered: Jun 2007
| IP: Logged |
The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations. If you would like to support the Network and the LymeNet system of Web services, please send your donations to:
The
Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey 907 Pebble Creek Court,
Pennington,
NJ08534USA http://www.lymenet.org/
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
Printer-friendly view of this topic