Tampa Article [came through wrong last time]

[Guest guest]

May 26, 2001

Ticks putting bite on Bay area

JAN HOLLINGSWORTH

of The Tampa Tribune

TBO Drought Coverage

vet Dale Fischbach advises dog owners traveling to North Carolina

to vaccinate their pets.

FRED FOX

Flowers aren't the only thing blooming in local yards this year.

Veterinarians and some pet owners have begun to notice a banner crop of ticks

apparently unleashed by the deepening drought.

``This weather seems to be making them very aggressive. They're kind of

panicking out there to find a host because it's so dry,'' said Jerry , a

professor of medical veterinary entomology at the University of Florida in

Gainesville.

``Host'' is a polite term for any unwitting creature - be it bird, lizard, rat,

raccoon or man - that can provide a blood meal to the troublesome parasites.

Deer often are the preferred hosts in woodsy settings.

But in suburbia, it is man's best friend that delivers the unwelcome guests into

the master's den.

``With dogs, you're bringing these ticks right into your household,''

said.

Some tick species can transmit Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and

Ehrlichiosis, a little-known illness that state health officials have been

tracking since 1996.

All three can be serious and even life-threatening to animals and humans if not

treated. All three have been found in Florida. But the rate of infection here is

low compared to other areas of the country, said Conti, Florida's public

health veterinarian.

Ehrlichiosis is caused by an organism transmitted by the Lone Star tick, the

most common tick found in Florida that feeds on humans. Its vague collection of

fever and flulike symptoms makes it difficult to diagnose, and fewer than two

dozen cases have been reported to the state health department in the past five

years.

``People may not realize they have it, and I bet we are getting kind of the tip

of the iceberg on that one,'' said Conti.

The Lone Star tick also is associated with a newly identified disease called

Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness, or STARI. This disease is similar to Lyme

disease, which is most prevalent in New York, Connecticut and other Northeastern

states.

Lyme, which is transmitted by the black-legged tick - more commonly known as the

deer tick - is on the rise in Florida. It has been reported most often in

ville, Gainesville and the Ocala National Forest.

About two-thirds of the 50 to 70 reported cases of Lyme disease in Florida each

year are associated with people who may have been infected during travel to the

Northeast, said Conti.

The American dog tick, which also enjoys a human meal now and then, is linked to

Rocky Mountain spotted fever, another disease that is making its presence known

in the Sunshine State.

But like Lyme, it is most often contracted outside the state. The North Carolina

mountains serve as ground zero for spotted fever disease.

``So you go camping there and can come back with it,'' said .

veterinarian Dale Fischbach says that people who take their dogs with

them to North Carolina can transport the ticks back as well.

The ticks that transmit Lyme disease also are so prevalent in North Carolina he

recommends that dogs be vaccinated for it before being taken there.

Disease isn't the only danger ticks pose to people and animals.

The parasites secrete a substance while feeding that can cause paralysis,

depending on the size and sensitivity of the host and the number and type of

ticks.

BUT JUST ONE TICK that attaches itself near a nerve center and feeds for several

days can induce tick paralysis.

``We've seen problems on children, particularly young girls, where a tick gets

in the hairline where it's not observed,'' said .

In some cases, paralysis leads to death and the tick is discovered during the

autopsy, he said. But if the tick is discovered and removed, the patient can

fully recover in as little as four hours.

Although the risk of disease or paralysis is small, health officials recommend

that people take precautions.

``It's just a good idea at night, when you've been outside, to do a tick

check,'' said Conti.

The parasites often cling to vegetation along trails and paths where they wait

to hitch a ride on the first warm body that brushes by.

A TICK GENERALLY must be attached to the host for 12 hours or more to transmit

any of the diseases. But anyone who has been bitten by a tick and develops a

fever and flulike symptoms, particularly in spring or summer, should be checked

by a physician.

``All are easily treated early but are difficult and possibly life-threatening

if treated late,'' said .

Dogs also should also be checked regularly. Cats, though not a preferred host,

should be monitored, too.

Fastidious grooming is the only nontoxic way to rid pets of ticks. Frontline, a

biological control applied between a dog's shoulder blades, is less toxic than

other insecticides.

If all else fails, pesticides might be needed to treat animals and the

surrounding environment, inside and out.

Household infestations can be devastating, said .

A female tick will become engorged on blood, drop off the animal and crawl into

a crack or crevice where it will lay between 8,000 and 18,000 eggs, depending on

the species.

``When they hatch, a wall can turn brown with larvae,'' he said.

All but the common brown dog tick, which seldom feeds on humans, will head for

the nearest host.

And that could be you.

Jan Hollingsworth covers the environment and can be reached at

jhollingsworth@...