Hiking Safety and... Lyme Disease

[Guest Chris Juricich]

wear shoes and socks and long, light colored pants when tramping out there on your geocache trips. I'm worried that you're going to get lyme disease or Epstein-Barr syndrome from a tick."

 

I groan inwardly, thinking back to when she pushed incessantly for a seatbelt attachment for our dog when in the car... (more groaning inwardly) which, thankfully, faded from her concern.

 

Forgetting the dog seatbelt issue for now, realistically, how much at risk am I out in the wilds in tevas and shorts (as is my wont and pleasure when out there) from the ravages of ticks and their diseases? I live in Northern California in the SF Bay Area.

 

Please recognize, I am not immune to the notion of safety. I know that Lyme Disease is real, that animals in a car without a seat belt is dangerous. I'm just not sure how far I'm willing to carry the beacon of safety concerns in this circumstance. No matter what, we may have it out over this, because frankly, the notion of wearing constricting pants and boots-- well, I'm not keen on it.

 

Opinions?

[Guest db8tr]

Well, I certainly recomend the long pants and boots (or at least sneakers) route. It may sound a lot worse than it is. This past week in wichita the temperature has been peaking around 103 degrees and I have hiked and fished all week. I wore jeans and boots. Maybe you should try it at least once. But, if you are determined to go at it in tevas and shorts (you must not have the thorns we have in kansas!) I would go with a super strength bug repellant.

 

The only chemical that has been proven to repel ticks has a really long scientific name but is commonly known as DEET. Deep Woods Off has about 30% or so deet in it. The more deet the better and longer lasting the protection. You can buy up to 100% deet. At that concentration it only takes little . I must mention, however, that the higher concentrations have warnings about using them on children. DEET is what the army uses, and I have had very positive experiences with it.

 

The bottom line on all of this is that the amount of protection you put on will only reduce the likely-hood of you getting a tick. I have gotten a tick or two while wearing jeans and boots. I have not ever been completely infested like some of my friends who go on the same trips have been. So... good luck on finding what works right for you!

[Guest db8tr]

Well, I certainly recomend the long pants and boots (or at least sneakers) route. It may sound a lot worse than it is. This past week in wichita the temperature has been peaking around 103 degrees and I have hiked and fished all week. I wore jeans and boots. Maybe you should try it at least once. But, if you are determined to go at it in tevas and shorts (you must not have the thorns we have in kansas!) I would go with a super strength bug repellant.

 

The only chemical that has been proven to repel ticks has a really long scientific name but is commonly known as DEET. Deep Woods Off has about 30% or so deet in it. The more deet the better and longer lasting the protection. You can buy up to 100% deet. At that concentration it only takes little . I must mention, however, that the higher concentrations have warnings about using them on children. DEET is what the army uses, and I have had very positive experiences with it.

 

The bottom line on all of this is that the amount of protection you put on will only reduce the likely-hood of you getting a tick. I have gotten a tick or two while wearing jeans and boots. I have not ever been completely infested like some of my friends who go on the same trips have been. So... good luck on finding what works right for you!

[Guest navdog]

As much as ticks are a concern, what happens when mosquitos with the West Nile virus make their way over to the west coast?

[Guest mfratto]

West Nile is not a big deal for people, though it does cause problems for birds. We have lost a lot of birds around here, but that was mostly last year. WN only affects people whose immune systems have been compromised, very old people, etc. If you are a healthy adult, you won't be affected at all.

 

We are always paranoid about ticks, though I have never gotten one. Maybe because we are paranoid But we tend to wear shorts with boots and socks -- just spray our legs and check later. Dr. says not all tick bites will lead to LD, either, in fact, majority of them won't. My sister's family lives in Maine, and they get ticks all the time, and they are all fine. I guess as with everything, it is just luck of the draw, but better be safe than sorry. I do hear, though, that if you get a tick and get any signs of LD, if you can get to the Dr within 3 days for the antibiotic, you will also be fine.

 

Mauri

 

[This message has been edited by mfratto (edited 26 July 2001).]

 

[This message has been edited by mfratto (edited 26 July 2001).]

[Guest mfratto]

West Nile is not a big deal for people, though it does cause problems for birds. We have lost a lot of birds around here, but that was mostly last year. WN only affects people whose immune systems have been compromised, very old people, etc. If you are a healthy adult, you won't be affected at all.

 

We are always paranoid about ticks, though I have never gotten one. Maybe because we are paranoid But we tend to wear shorts with boots and socks -- just spray our legs and check later. Dr. says not all tick bites will lead to LD, either, in fact, majority of them won't. My sister's family lives in Maine, and they get ticks all the time, and they are all fine. I guess as with everything, it is just luck of the draw, but better be safe than sorry. I do hear, though, that if you get a tick and get any signs of LD, if you can get to the Dr within 3 days for the antibiotic, you will also be fine.

 

Mauri

 

[This message has been edited by mfratto (edited 26 July 2001).]

 

[This message has been edited by mfratto (edited 26 July 2001).]

[Guest c_oflynn]

Hi,

 

I've always wondered this: can mosqitos transmit the AIDS virus?

 

-Colin

[Guest k2dave]

{I've always wondered this: can mosqitos transmit the AIDS virus?}

 

Still unknown but doesn't look like it does

[Guest n1niq]

Regarding long pants. REI has really light weight hiking pants on sale for $19.95. They are very comfortable even in the heat and cut down on the bites and scrapes.

[Guest jeremy]

quote:

---

Originally posted by c_oflynn:

I've always wondered this: can mosqitos transmit the AIDS virus?

---

 

No.

 

http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pubs/faq/faq32.htm

 

There also is no reason to fear that a mosquito or other insect could transmit HIV from one person to another through HIV-infected blood left on its mouth parts. Several reasons help explain why this is so. First, infected people do not have constantly high levels of HIV in their blood streams. Second, insect mouth parts retain only very small amounts of blood on their surfaces. Finally, scientists who study insects have determined that biting insects normally do not travel from one person to the next immediately after ingesting blood. Rather, they fly to a resting place to digest the blood meal.

[Guest GrouseTales]

tick attach, was on the back of my head (a place not covered by my hat).

 

A couple years ago I was Turkey hunting in an area heavily infested with ticks. I had sprayed all my clothing with Permanone. My friend who was hunting with me did not. I didnt get any ticks during the entire trip.

The untreated hunter (my friend) had about 20 ticks on him.

 

Ticks like areas with tall grass and brush. Since we are often in these areas while Geocaching, it is very wise to wear long pants and use a product such as Permanone.

 

Generally, if I'm walking in any grass taller than my shoes or boots, I wear pants and spray them.

 

Just my 2 cents

[Guest PneumaticDeath]

Ticks are a concern. On one hunt, I managed to get 3-4 on me, and at least one (probably 2) implanted. There have been other threads on here about how to deal with them, but a quick summary:

 

1. Sprays: DEET on exposed (only) skin. Permethin (sp?) on clothing. DEET doesn't repel them (so insect repellant is a misnomer), but it keeps them from finding a place to "bite". Permiethin is a neurotoxin that get into them through their feet. It's safe for humans and pets, but it's not healthy to put it on your skin, and there is some concern about its use around children.

 

2. Light colored clothing (makes them easier to spot). Long pants tucked into boots. Long sleeve shirts, with rubber bands around the cuffs.

 

3. Tick check. When you get home, disrobe completely, and check (or launder) the clothing. Check near hairlines (all the hairlines, not just the one of your head). They also like places just under the clothing, and places like underwear.

 

4. If bitten. If you find a tick implanted, here's how you get him out. Take fine tweezers, and grasp the tick at the head (near the skin). Pull upward just enough to pucker the skin (like you were pulling on a hair. If the tick doesn't let go, put one drop of rubbing alcohol on his abdomen, wait a minute and try again. Repeat for up to 10 minutes. Once he lets go, put him in a sealable jar or plastic bag with a small piece of moistened paper towel. If you want the bugger tested for Lyme, get it to a lab soon. If you can't get it to a lab immediately, refrigerate it until you can.

 

Things not to do:

Don't twist it off.

Don't yank it off with your fingers.

Don't squish it.

Don't drown it.

Don't try to preserve it in alcohol.

 

Of course nobody can follow all of these, but they're hints as to things you can do to help prevent the problems. I know only one person who has had Lyme, but it was devastating. Severe, long term, debilitating pain, joint damage, etc. My understanding is that if caught early, the sucess rate for treatment is very good. Lyme is caused by a multi-celled organism called a spirochete (like the one that causes syphilis.) rather than a bacterium or a virus.

 

[This message has been edited by PneumaticDeath (edited 26 July 2001).]

[Guest hgmonaro]

Don't know if we have ticks with Lymes disease here in Australia but we do have a large range of nasty snakes and spiders! Mossies don't bite me so I don't have to worry about them

[Guest hgmonaro]

Don't know if we have ticks with Lymes disease here in Australia but we do have a large range of nasty snakes and spiders! Mossies don't bite me so I don't have to worry about them