Description:Deer ticks are parasites and must feed on blood to
survive and reproduce. They begin their life as tiny eggs, which hatch
into sexually immature larvae about the size of a grain of sand. The
mobile stages of this pest, is the larval stage which infest small animals;
the engorged larvae molt into sexually immature, eight-legged nymphs, which
are about the size of a poppy seed. These nymphs then take a blood,
usually on a small to medium sized mammal. The engorged nymphs drop off and
lay eggs. The whole process can take two years.
From a public health perspective, it is most important to control the
"nymphal tick" because 90% of all Lyme disease cases are due to bites from
this life stage.
Lyme Disease:
Lyme disease is caused by spirochete (or type of bacteria), called
Borrelia burgdorferi, which affects humans. This disease organism
is vectored principally by a hard tick. Lyme disease was first
recognized and reported as a cluster of cases which occurred around Lyme,
Connecticut in 1975.
Symptoms of Lyme Disease:
First signs of the bite is usually a rash around the area bitten.
Symptoms can be severe, including acute headache to more serious nervous
system impairment, symptoms resembling rheumatoid arthritis, expanding red
rash or near the tick bite, low grade fever, abdominal and joint pain,
dizziness and stiff neck, as well as serious heart problems.
Other Diseases:
Deer ticks can transmit two other serious illnesses - human anaplasmosis
(HA), formerly called human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE), and babesiosis.
The symptoms don't include rash, but they are otherwise similar to
symptoms of Lyme disease. Symptoms can include a sudden onset of fever
of 102 degrees or more, chills, shaking, severe headache and muscle aches.
Babesiosis is characterized by high fever, muscle aches, fatigue and loss
of appetite.
Reported Cases:
Minnesota reported cases of Lyme disease in the past few years.
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