posted
I have seen some posts about that California Lizzard that has a protein in its blood that kills the lyme bacteria in an hr.
Well, I looked it up. Found the guy doing the research (he has been working on it for 20 years or so). I found his number and e-mail. He works mostly on the prevenative lyme, not so much treating it.
I think I am going to call him or e-mail him this week and see if he can give us any more info on if there is research being done on this Lizzard.
The name of the lizzard is Sceloporus occidentalis.
Robert S. Lane is the name of the guy who has been researching this Lizzard. And below is some information on him.
Research Interests
We have been studying the ecology, epidemiology and control of tick-borne diseases, particularly the spirochete (bacterium) that causes Lyme disease (LD). LD is currently the most commonly reported vector-borne infection in California, the United States, and in other temperate regions of the world. The broad objectives of this research are intended to clarify the basic mechanisms by which the LD spirochete is maintained and distributed including the various modes of transmission to humans and other animals; to determine what behavioral and environmental factors place people at risk for acquiring this spirochete; and to evaluate control methodologies for reducing such risk.
We found that the LD spirochete is maintained in a transmission cycle that differs basically from that in the upper midwestern and northeastern United States. Woodrats and kangaroo rats (vs. white-footed mice) serve as reservoir hosts, 3 species of ticks (vs. one species) maintain and distribute the spirochete, and the spirochetes themselves are generally much more variable than those from the East. Factors that contribute to risk of infection include cutting wood, exposure to leaf litter in hardwood forests, and other outdoor activities that place people in direct contact with the habitats of the primary tick vector. These findings underscore the need for vector ecologists and epidemiologists to study the disease on a regional basis before locally effective control methodologies can be developed and implemented to protect human health.
Additionally, a new species of tick-borne spirochete was discovered during these studies that may be the cause of epizootic bovine abortion, a disease that has been estimated to cause annual losses of $5-15 million to the cattle industry in California alone. Other tick-borne diseases currently or previously investigated by us in collaboration with others include Colorado tick fever, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrlichiosis, relapsing fever, tularemia, human babesiosis, and tick paralysis.
Current Projects
Several ongoing projects are aimed at expanding our knowledge of the relationship of various isolates of LD spirochetes (and other microbial agents) to their tick vectors and vertebrate hosts. Spirochetes isolated from ticks and wildlife are being characterized antigenically and genetically, and the infectivity of selected isolates for vertebrates and ticks determined. The ability of human and nonhuman-biting ticks to acquire, maintain, and transmit the LD spirochete, and the role of rodents and lizards in perpetuating it, are being evaluated experimentally as well as in the field. Intrinsic and extrinsic factors that contribute to the vector efficiency of different ticks and the reservoir competence of rodents also are being assessed. Life history studies of all stages of the western black-legged tick, the primary vector of the LD spirochete to humans in the Far West, are under way preparatory to modelling the population dynamics of this important vector.
Another current focus is to elucidate human risk of exposure to vector ticks along hiking trails and in picnic areas of several heavily-used parklands and other recreational areas in the San Francisco Bay region. Moreover, peridomestic exposure to vector ticks is being evaluated ecologically and seroepidemiologically in rural communities endemic for LD.
The ultimate goal of this research is to use the basic knowledge gleaned from the foregoing projects to develop and implement strategies for reducing human exposure to tick-borne agents. One method currently being tested is the delivery of an oil-based formulation of permethrin to wild rodents via bait stations to reduce the abundance of their associated vector ticks. Another method being evaluated for the same purpose is the use of prescribed (controlled) burning in brushlands where ticks abound. It is anticipated that either one or both of these methods may eventually prove to be useful as part of an integrated program for reducing tick abundance in rural settings or where suburbs abut on natural areas.
Hopefully I will be back on here with some good news.
posted
Get this, I think that lizard your talking about EATS ticks, and appears immune to lyme, I bet thats how this guy got the idea.
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cottonbrain
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 13769
posted
so, can we just lick this lizard or what??
I've seen those tick bait things advertised. somebody here posted a link to them-- they are nnot legal in all states.
I do wonder if the tick bait stations are safe for pets -- what if your dog or cat ate the treated cotton? if they are safe, and effective, we should get our govt to distrubute them.
They just sprayed our entire town with poison to kill moths, you'd think they could put out some tick bait stations.
Posts: 1173 | From USA | Registered: Nov 2007
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CD57
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 11749
posted
Yeah, they are teaching kids out here in CA about Dr Lane's work, good! I believe Dr Lane is an entomologist out of UC Berkeley or UC Davis, forget which. At least someone is paying attention!
Posts: 3528 | From US | Registered: Apr 2007
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Truthfinder
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8512
posted
Lots of posts and discussion about this here at LymeNet.... do a search for "Western Fence Lizard".....
-------------------- Tracy .... Prayers for the Lyme Community - every day at 6 p.m. Pacific Time and 9 p.m. Eastern Time � just take a few moments to say a prayer wherever you are�. Posts: 2966 | From Colorado | Registered: Dec 2005
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posted
This lizzard has a protien in its blood that kills the bacteria. He put some of the lizzard blood on a slide with the bacteria on it. Within one hr the lyme bacteria was dead!
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