Lyme Disease Article

[MattC]

Here's a link for a piece in the Albany Times Union concerning how forest fragmentation may increase numbers of infected deer ticks:

http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=620378&category=OPINION&BCCode=&TextPage=1

It's a theory I've heard about before. The article also mentions West Nile in the same context.

Matt

 

[audrey]

Thanks for the article. Strangely, we haven't seen a single tick this year. Genie hasn't brought any home with her: although we use Frontline Plus, we still used to find a few crawling around on top of her fur.

Does drought affect their numbers?

 

[spider solo]

Nice Article. Must be some confuson though about there being no vacine for Lyme disease. I know there was a series of shots available but I wonder if they decided they were ineffectual?
Glad they made the connection with forest fragmentation.. it's an aspect I've never thought of in relation to disease. Very informative.

 

[SAR-EMT40]

"But who wants to wear DEET-drenched long pants and long-sleeved shirts while gardening or hiking in summer?"

I stopped reading at this point except to see Authorship. To not research your article well enough to not know that this isn't how you use DEET means the rest of the article is suspect to me.


Something is wrong when the author

Richard S. Ostfeld, Ph.D., is a senior scientist and Lyme disease researcher at the Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook

either doesn't know the proper way to apply DEET or he has a very specific agenda that he doesn't care what scare tactics he uses to further his cause. If I can't even trust that simple information about DEET application I cannot trust anything he writes.

Just my $.02,
Keith

 

[Chip]

There are a number a glaring holes in this article that make the author's motives very suspect. Like the fact that deer are mentioned, let me count again (I read the article backwards to make sure I got it right), exactly zero times.

 

[DougPaul]

While the article looks like it was written (or rewritten) by a reporter or newspaper editor, the underlying basic info could still be correct. Forest fragmentation does affect the population density of various animals--some require deep interior (unbroken) areas, some do well in edge zones (eg deer). And the effects of the different population densities will reverberate throughout the other species in the ecosystem. So actually, one should be surprised if there weren't effects on diseases such as Lyme.

Also ticks get on humans when the humans brush on vegetation. Broken and transition areas tend to have more brush than do established interior areas.

BTW1: Ticks carrying Lyme disease do not require deer--they can live on other species such as mice.

BTW2: It may not be the optimum way to use it, but DEET on clothing works too.

BTW3: There was a Lyme vaccine, but it does not appear to have been very effective. IIRC, it has been withdrawn from the market.

BTW4: Yes, from what I have read, drought is likely to reduce the tick populations.

And yes, it is entirely possible that the above or similar factors could affect the incidence of West Nile too. The drought is likely reducing the mosquito population too.

Doug

 

[Puck]

Thanks for the article. Strangely, we haven't seen a single tick this year. Genie hasn't brought any home with her: although we use Frontline Plus, we still used to find a few crawling around on top of her fur.

Does drought affect their numbers?

In CT I volunteer at a bird banding station. We are joined by some researchers from the Yale School of Epidemiology and Public Health. They ar interested in the deer ticks found on the birds. The ticks are around the eyes and base of the beak. They are not found anywhere else because the birds can preen them off.

I stopped reading at this point except to see Authorship. To not research your article well enough to not know that this isn't how you use DEET means the rest of the article is suspect to me.

I know his DEET comment is a bit of hyperbole. Perhaps more as a matter of style. After all the article is about lanscape managment and not personal precautions.

There are a number a glaring holes in this article that make the author's motives very suspect. Like the fact that deer are mentioned, let me count again (I read the article backwards to make sure I got it right), exactly zero times..

Good point. Forest fragmentation also favors deer populations. Larger mamals are a both a desease reservoir as well as a necessary host for the deer tick's life cycle. Perhpas he went over his word count.

 

[Chip]

BTW1: Ticks carrying Lyme disease do not require deer--they can live on other species such as mice.
Doug

Possible, but not the "vector" or whatever it's called re. Lyme Disease around here. Incidence of the disease have parallelled the growth of the deer population. Any serious discussion of reducing the disease includes reducing the deer population.

Forest fragmentation and development increase rodent populations. Better habitat for them. I'm pretty confident (by 40+ years observation) there are alot more hawks and owls around here now also, but perhaps they can't keep up with the rodent population.

 

[spider solo]

Buzz Off...clothing

I noticed with the various issues about the article there was mention of his Deet Drenched clothing or something along those lines.

So perhaps people don't realize it is already being marketed and has been for several years.

Course before people take a "kizzy fit" (sp?) about being all wrong about it.
No, it isn"t actually Deet and it is "impregnated" into the material not drenched.
Still when people ask about it and don't recognize the name of the product used...you just say "it's like deet only supposed to be safe".

Yes, I liked the article , as it made me think of a connection that I had never thought of.
So the guy might be off a little or over enthusastic in his reporting. I don"t expect him to have a degree on the subject. If he was writting for Audubon or Scientifc American or something I mght be tempted to jump all over his case, but for a local newspaper I think it was fine .

It got people thinking and they can find out more about it depending on their interest level.

While I don't know if avain predation is on the increase with an increase of Owl populations etc ...info like that can be ascertained, once again, depending on interest level.

It is oft mentioned the need to reduce the deer populations for one reason or another (coincidentaly though it never does seem to happen).

As fall season approaches there will plenty of opportunity for people to step forward plead the need to lower the number of disease carrying deer etc...etc. and they are partially right

Yet this time next year there will still be to many deer. Lyme diease will probbably still be a problem because there is a vested need to keep the populations high... it equalls big money.

So who does actually drive forward the disease ?

 

[Chip]

So the guy might be off a little or over enthusastic in his reporting. I don"t expect him to have a degree on the subject. If he was writting for Audubon or Scientifc American or something I might be tempted to jump all over his case, but for a local newspaper I think it was fine .

Actually, Spider, he does have a degree on the subject ;

"Richard S. Ostfeld, Ph.D., is a senior scientist and Lyme disease researcher at the Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook"

I don't really care what his motivations are, but since this appears to be his life's work, I think it's reasonable to expect an analysis without bias.

Unless this is just bad editing and a filler article, which is possible.

 

[DougPaul]

I noticed with the various issues about the article there was mention of his Deet Drenched clothing or something along those lines.

So perhaps people don't realize it is already being marketed and has been for several years.

ExOfficio BUZZ OFF clothing is simply Permethrin treated clothing. (The Permethrin will wear off in time.)

You can buy Permethrin in spray form or in liquid form intended to be used to soak your own clothing.
http://www.rei.com/search?vcat=REI_SEARCH&query=permethrin&x=0&y=0
http://www.ems.com/catalog/product_...folder_id=282574489160621&bmUID=1189547169066

Doug