Bill, Gail and all,
There is an article at
http://allergicliving.com/index.php/2010/07/02/food-allergy-beef-emerges-as-issue/ that
explains the proposed mechanism, which involves
production of an IgE antibody to a sugar found in
red meat.
Marcia
_________________________
Marcia Watson
Bowie, MD
<mww...>
---- Original message ----
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2012 11:57:27 +0000 (UTC)
From: "Gail B. Mackiernan
%<3Ckatahdinss...>%3E"
<katahdinss...>
Subject: Re: [MDBirding] Lone Star Ticks and ...
Meat Allergies?
To: MDBirds <mdbirding...>
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
----------------------------------------------------
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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