Hi Bill --
Wow, scary! The article did not give any mechanism for the allergic reaction, but it probably is not pathogen-caused (like Lyme or Rocky Mt. Fever) but more to do with cross-sensitivity to some protein the tick introduces into your blood stream. A tick in Australia introduces a protein to maintain host blood flow that induces paralysis (there have been a number of deaths), as do some other species in Asia and Africa.
The best protection is to spray all of your birding clothes, especially your socks and long pants but also outer shirts or jackets, with Permethrin (never skin). Allow to dry completely before wearing. (This will last a number of washings so keep the sprayed clothing segregated.) A ritual before most of our foreign trips, it is obviously very important in this area as well. Before going out, use DEET-containing cream around your ankles, underpants and bra lines, and waist. This also protects against chiggers. If you haven't done this and are going into tall grass or ticky area, tuck pants in socks and spray the outside of your shoes, socks, pants and waistline with Deep-Woods OFF or similar. This may seem obvious but it is amazing how many people don't do it. Particularly important if you have any sort of allergic reaction to tick bites.
I should add that the last time one of us was bitten by a deer tick (officially, now black-legged tick) that had somehow escaped our notice and might have been on for 24 hours, our doctor prescribed only three days' worth of Doxicyclin . We questioned this and she (Dr's at Johns Hopkins so hopefully is up on all this) said that this is the current thinking on Lyme exposure. Hope she's right!
Gail Mackiernan
Colesville, MD
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill Hubick" <bill_hubick...>
To: "MDBirds" <mdbirding...>
Sent: Wednesday, June 20, 2012 6:47:48 AM
Subject: [MDBirding] Lone Star Ticks and ... Meat Allergies?
Hi Everyone,
Yuck. Here's a relevant birding topic due to our huge numbers of this tick species in Maryland. I had considered Lone Star Ticks to be on the more benign side as far as ticks go, but this is new to me and disconcerting:
http://www.wjla.com/articles/2012/06/lone-star-tick-causing-meat-allergies-in-central-virginia-77073.html
I was bitten by several Lone Stars just this weekend. Hopefully any effects require some time attached, as sometimes cited (24+ hours?) for Lyme Disease (for which I've already been treated three times).
Good birding,
Bill
Bill Hubick
Pasadena, Maryland
<bill_hubick...>
http://www.billhubick.com
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