ROCKINGHAM NEWS (WWW)
EXETER, NH 08/01/2004
Author: David Willis
Rockingham News (Exeter,NH) via World Wide Web 08/01/2004
Source Website: www.seacoastonline.com
By David Willis
rockinghamnews@seacoastonlinecom
Tick Population Is The Largest In Years
Tick safety for both humans and pets in New Hampshire is of great
importance this season owing to a tick population said to be the highest in years.
"This year's population (of ticks) has been as bad as I have
ever seen it," state
entomologist Tom Durkis said. Durkis, who oversees the insect population in New Hampshire,
said the number of ticks has been inexplicably on the rise for a number of years and
it appears to have reached its peak this summer.
"Fifteen or 20 years ago you could walk in the woods of New
Hampshire and not come out covered in ticks," Durkis said.
That is no longer the case. Because of the rising population of
the insect, Durkis said it is important for people to know how to avoid ticks and be
able to deal with
them if they are found on humans or pets, since animals such as dogs and cats are
common targets for ticks.
The most effective way for dogs and cats to avoid tick bites,
according to pet groomer Sandy Seaman, is to apply Frontline insect repellent above
the pet's shoulders. The
owner of Sandy's Grooming Shops in Kingston, Seaman said the product is clearly the
safest and most effective way to keep ticks off pets, which are usually at high risk.
State epidemiologist Dr. Jesse Greenblat said the best way for
humans to avoid the insect is to wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants when going
into wooded areas or
places with long grass or brush. He also recommended that people going into high risk
areas should use a Deet-based insect repellent, which has shown to be the most effective
for tick bites. Durkis said that, for both pets and humans it is very important to
perform a "tick check" so that a tick can be removed as quickly as possible.
That consists of checking a person or pet's body for ticks.
If a tick is found on a pet, Seaman said the best way to remove
it is to pinch the insect with tweezers, rotate it and pull. It should release its
mouth once pulled upon.
For a human, Greenblat said putting pressure on it with a pair of tweezers should
make it release, and pulling is only necessary in some cases. Durkis stated ticks are
a
challenge to get off because their mouths are similar to fish hooks which grab onto
skin.
Once a tick is removed, Durkis said the bite should be treated
with hydrogen peroxide and soap and water. If a rash forms, a doctor should be contacted.
Seaman said the
best way to dispose of a tick is to flush it down a drain, since they cannot be squished.
Of the many different types of ticks that are in existence, the two most common in
New Hampshire are the deer tick and the American dog tick.
Greenblat said the deer tick, which is much smaller, poses the
most danger for both humans and pets because it is the carrier of Lyme disease. He
said there have been
cases of Lyme disease over the past few years in New Hampshire, but there is no documented
proof of a person from the state ever dying of Lyme disease.
Durkis said, although the dog tick does not carry Lyme disease,
it should be treated with care because there is a chance it can carry diseases such
as Rocky Mountain spotted
fever. But more practically, a bite can get infected.
He said no one is sure of why the tick population has been growing
to the high it has reached in recent years. He said there are theories that a change
in the climate has
led to the increase. Also the greater population of deer may have brought in more
deer ticks.
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