PROTECTION IS THE BEST PREVENTION FOR LYME DISEASE

They have been around for thousands of years. There is no avoiding them. They are part of our lives. Ticks. They are nasty little blood-sucking creatures, and they can make human beings very sick.

Lyme disease, or the spirochetes that cause the disease, can be transmitted by ticks.

Dr. Edwin J. Masters, a local physician and Lyme disease expert, said ticks are vectors for the spirochetes that cause the disease.

"Lyme disease is a tick-borne illness caused by Borrelia burgdorferi spirochetes," said Masters. The disease can be transmitted by any tick that feeds on warm-blooded animals and human beings.

The disease is characterized by a bull's eye-shaped rash and flu-like symptoms. It can become a chronic and debilitating illness if left undiagnosed and untreated.

Masters said Southeast Missouri has large numbers of ticks. Changes in technology and ecology have made Lyme disease more prevalent in recent years.

"An increased population of ticks is a result of the increased food supply for the ticks," he said. "In the 1920s and 1930s the deer population and small mammals were at a bare minimum."

Masters said the population of these animals has increased in recent years thus increasing the tick population. He said new farming practices have contributed to this increase.

"Farming practices such as burning off of fields have decreased," Masters said. "This has increased the population of small animals and thus ticks."

New technology has made more people aware of the disease. Masters said new DNA testing is making it feasible to isolate the spirochetes that are indicative of the disease.

"More patients are meeting the clinical criteria for Lyme disease," he said. "What is not proven is the exact structure of the bacteria. The structure of the bacteria in our area my be slightly different than the bacteria in the Northeast area of the country."

Masters said although the structure of the bacteria may vary, it still produces the same symptoms.

"It is a complicated disease," he said, "but it can be concluded that Lyme disease reported in Missouri has very similar signs and symptoms in those affected in other areas of the country."

Elizabeth Knote, president of Cape-Kil of Cape Girardeau, said noted biologist Dr. Dorothy Feir of St. Louis University segregates two primary ticks as the main vectors in Lyme disease.

"The Lone Star tick and the American Dog Tick are primary vectors of the disease," said Knote. "These ticks are found all over our area."

Prevention is the best protection against tick bites and the control of Lyme disease.

"I have a very healthy respect for ticks," said Knote. "They are very hearty insects. You do not want them inside your house. They can hide for nearly nine months in your home and then will look for another blood meal." Knote said ticks have a two-year life cycle.

Ticks are not only found in the woods but can be found in any back yard and are most prevalent from June to October.

Knote said yards need to be treated twice a year with products such as Dursban.

"Cut your yard and treat with and apply Dursban to the grass," she said. "You must also spray at least up to a seven-foot level on the house and trees. Ticks crawl up."

Knote also said ticks can detect the release of carbon dioxide in human beings and know when a blood meal is near and will crawl toward that blood source.

DEET-based repellents are good for short-term protection, but Knote suggests an insecticide infused in clothing fibers as the best barrier against tick bites.

"Spray your clothing with products such as Permanone, which is a Permethrin insecticide," she said. "It kills the ticks. They dry out and die."

Knote said animals should be treated for ticks. She recommends Drione, which is made up of natural products.

Masters said the best defense against contracting Lyme disease is education.

"People should be educated about the disease and not alarmed," he said. "The risk is low but we still have a huge exposure to ticks in this area."

It takes several hours for the infection to manifest in the tick bite victim. The chances of contracting Lyme disease are decreased the sooner the tick is removed.

"The chances of getting the disease from a single tick bite are 300 or 400 to one," said Masters.

There is a 30-day incubation period for the disease, and Masters recommends saving the tick."

Remove the tick with tweezers," he said, "and place it in a zip lock bag with a blade of grass for moisture."

The tick will be used to identify the Lyme disease causing spirochetes.

Masters said bite victims are out of the woods if a bull's-eye rash or other symptoms do not occur within a 7- to 30-day period.

"The disease is treatable with a higher success rate in the early stages of the disease," he said. "Enjoy the outdoors but be knowledgeable and be careful."

Tick bite prevention tips:

-- Apply DEET-based tick repellent to exposed skin

-- Spray clothing with a Permethrin insecticide

-- Check body for ticks after being outdoors

-- Wear clothing that makes ticks visible

-- Seal ankle areas by tucking pants into boots and wear long sleeve clothing if possible

If bitten:

-- Remove tick carefully with tweezers

-- Apply an antiseptic to bite

-- Do not kill the tick and save it in a plastic bag

-- Observe for a bull's-eye rash on the body

-- If a rash or any other symptoms occur see a physician as soon a possible