Special Report: Tick Trouble

The point is not to scare you. But the fact is that Lyme disease is here, all over New England, and it's more frightening than most people imagine.

Regina Woods, Lyme disease sufferer
"It's a scary disease. It effects your whole body, your whole way of life."

Regina Woods knew the disease came from ticks, but she didn't worry about Lyme disease until she was diagnosed.

Now, Regina's life has turned around...

Regina Woods
"My quality of life and my way of life is significantly curtailed since I've been ill."

And, she's not alone.

Dr. Bela Matyas, Dept. of Public Health
"We've seen human cases of lyme disease occur in every county of the state."

David Simser, Barnstable County Entomologist
"This is the high risk period right now."

And this year is expected to be riskier than ever. The mild winter helped ticks to thrive.

To curb the rising number of Lyme disease cases, an intervention program focusing on the white footed mouse, is underway to reduce the number of ticks in the area.

David Simser
"White footed mice are the primary reservoir of Lyme disease. If we can break that cycle and remove the ticks, we'll remove the cycle of Lyme disease in a given area."

In these bait boxes, is an insecticide that will kill early stage ticks on infected mice, without harming the rodent.

David Simser
"The animals have to come in, take a left or a right, and get to the back of the box and encounter the bait, and in doing so they have to pass underneath a wick, and the wick gets the material fibronil on their necks."

The bait boxes, currently being tested on Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard could prove to be a powerful weapon against Lyme disease, and they could be used in your own back yard as early as next year.

In the meantime, and especially this summer. It's important to wear bug spray with Deet and do a tick check every day. If you're walking through grassy wooded areas, stick to the middle of paths.
Wear pants, and light clothing so you can spot ticks on your clothes, and when in grassy areas, tuck your pants into your socks.

If you do have a tick on you...

Dr. Bela Matyas
"You don't want to try those old wives tale approaches. You don't want to light a match stick and then blow it against the tick. What you want to do is grab fine point tweezers and grasp the tick at the head where it's connected to your skin, and pull with firm but steady pressure."

And if there's any question you may have been bitten if you experience the typical large, red expanding bulls-eye rash, or if you're achy, stiff, tired or experiencing tingling or numbing in the extremities, don't wait... see a doctor immediately. What seems like a very small problem, if left untreated, can significantly change your life.

More information:

The Lyme Disease Association of Massachusetts is having a free presentation, open to the public, on Tuesday, June 18th, 2002, from 6:00pm - 9:00pm at the Norwood Elks Club, 152 Winslow Ave., Norwood, MA. The lecture will include information from two experts on lyme disease: Sam Fonta, M.D. (Boston Medical Center) and Richard Pollick, PhD (Harvard School of Public Health). For more information call 1-866-lymehelp (1-866-596-3435) or log onto http://www.lymehelp.org
Directions: I-95 to exit 11b Neponset Street. Take 4th left onto Dean Street. Cross Route 1. At 2nd light at end of Dean Street, turn right onto Washington Street. Take 2nd left onto Walnut Street. Take 1st left onto Elk Way. Lodge is at the end on the right. Or call 1-866-lymehelp for recorded directions.

Other helpful resources:

The American Lyme Disease Foundation, Inc.
http://www.aldf.com

CDC Lyme disease home page
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/lyme/

Questions and answers about lyme disease
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/lyme/qa.htm

The Massachusetts Dept. of Public Health Lyme Disease web page
http://www.state.ma.us/dph/cdc/epii/lyme/lymehp.htm

LYME DISEASE SUPPORT GROUPS IN THE GREATER BOSTON AREA:

Danvers MA*
Meets 2nd Tuesday of every month.
7 to 9 PM at
Heritage at Danvers,
9 Summer St., Danvers, MA. 01923
Contact: Kay at 978-468-6336
b10g7@attbi.com

Burlington Massachusetts support group meeting
For more info contact: Gloria 781 272 9786
Grandmaglo45@cs.com

Worcester County
Contact: Dawn at 978-597-2726
dgipa@yahoo.com

Plymouth MA
Contact: Janet 508-866-9476

Islington, MA
Meets every first Thursday of every month.
7 to 9 PM Westwood Public Library,
Islington branch, 280 Washington Street (Rt. 1A), Islington, MA.
Contact: Linda at
linhillymema@aol.com

Massachusetts Lyme Disease Coalition

Cape Cod Lyme Disease Awareness Association*
John Coughlan
Mashpee/Falmouth, MA
(508) 563-7033

Lower Cape LD Support Group*
Diane Heart/Marci Rose
Brewster/Chatham, MA
(508) 896-6189/(508) 292-9237

Outer Cape LD Support Group*
Carolyn Tacke
Truro, MA
(508) 487-2720

New Bedford Lyme Support Friends*
Denise Chasse
New Bedford, MA
(508) 979-7859

Westport-Fall River LD Support Group*
Polly Emilitas, Janice Dey & Beth Herosy
Westport, MA
(508) 636-3184

Mansfield LD Support Group*
Gail Beers
Mansfield, MA
(508) 261-0230

South Shore LD Resource Line*
Dominique Baytarian
Marshfield, MA
(781) 837-5342

Westwood LD Resource Line*
Maureen O'Brien R.N.
Westwood, MA
(781) 251-2521

Boston Lyme Disease Resource Line*
Kerry Kineavy, RN
So. Boston, MA
(617) 268-3767

Central Mass. LD Family Resource Ctr*
Eileen Johnson
Webster, MA
(508) 943-2692

Western Mass. LD Resource Line*
Marci Linker
Florence, MA
E-Mail: Woodi16@aol.com

*Members of Massachusetts Lyme Disease Coaltion