In the Lyme Light

Local residents learned how to avoid the bite and blast Lyme disease.

"It's easier to prevent than treat," said Wilton resident Eileen Rice, a volunteer with the BLAST Lyme Disease Prevention Program.

Warm weather means people spend more time outdoors, increasing their exposure to disease-carrying ticks. But people can stop Lyme, and other serious tick-borne diseases. Both Rice, and Deborah Burnaman, Vice President of Education on the Board of Time for Lyme, Inc., spoke about how to keep family and pets healthy at the Wilton Library.

More than 50 people listened to the seminar. And more than half said they or someone they knew had Lyme, no surprise considering that 90 percent of ticks in Wilton tested positive for disease, said Rice.

"So we know we need to get proactive," she said.

Inected blacklegged ticks cause Lyme disease, a bacterial infection. Left untreated, it can cause joint swelling, neurological problems and cardiac complications.

Covering skin when in grassy or wooded areas, using insect repellents with DEET and showering after spending significant time outdoors are the best ways to prevent the disease, said Rice.

The Wilton Library, BLAST and Time for Lyme, Inc. co-sponsored the seminar. The Ridgefield Health Department developed BLAST, a program endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the Connecticut Department of Public Health.

Burnaman also presented a short film from the Greenwich-based Time for Lyme curriculum. Wilton schools have purchased the DVD; it remains an optional part of the curriculum, she said.

Of those infected, only 70 percent of people get a bulls-eye rash. This occurs between three and 30 days after a bite. Symptoms then become subtle and are sometimes misdiagnosed. These later stage symptoms include joint pain, fever and chills, severe headaches, fatigue and cognitive problems.

"Consider yourself lucky if you get a bulls-eye rash," said Rice. Rice's daughter missed nearly her entire eighth grade year at Middlebrook School because of Lyme.

More than 25,000 Americans have or have had Lyme according to the Centers for Disease Control. Many people think Lyme only occurs in New England. That's wrong. It's present in every state except Hawaii.

In Connecticut, Fairfield County has the highest number of cases, with numbers peaking in July and August. Still reporting isn't required as it is for other infectious diseases such as the influenza virus.

"We are hoping to mandate reporting requirements. That will help prevention," said State Rep. Peggy Reeves (D-W143). Both Reeve's daughter and husband have chronic Lyme.

If someone finds a tick, they need to properly pull it out. BLAST recommends saving the tick in a plastic bag. The Wilton Health Department will test the tick for disease. People should write down the date of the tick bite and watch for symptoms, said Burnaman.

There is currently no vaccine for Lyme. Treatment includes a course of antibiotics. For some patients with chronic, or late stage Lyme, several weeks or months of antibiotics are needed.

Reeves recently co-sponsored legislation ensuring physicians who prescribe long-term antibiotics to their patients won't lose their medical licenses.

In addition, reducing the deer population can prevent Lyme, said Pat Sesto of the Wilton Deer Committee. This year the committee will open Wilton's controlled hunt to private residences in efforts to bring the deer population to less than ten per square mile.

So, to best stop ticks remember to BLAST, said Rice:  Bathe or shower soon after coming indoors, Look for ticks and remove with fine tipped tweezers, Apply repellents for skin and/or clothing, Spray the perimeter of your yard for ticks, and Treat pets with veterinarian approved products.

For more information:  "Tick Management Handbook" and the National Pesticide Info Center at 1-800-858-7378.