Now, I must warn you that this is not my favorite subject. But since it can seriously affect the health of all Long Islanders who enjoy being outside, I figured it’s an important topic. What I’m talking about is TICKS – nature’s tiny parasites that live off the blood of animals and people. Not true insects, ticks are more related to mites. Once they find a host, they attach themselves using their cutting mandibles and insert their feeding tube directly into the skin. I think even my entomologist friends would agree that ticks are pretty disgusting.
I’ve hated ticks for a long time - since 3rd grade in elementary school to be precise. I distinctly remember the feelings of frustration and anger when I learned that our class field trip to Fire Island was cancelled because everyone was worried about ticks and getting Lyme disease. As a feisty little 3rd grader, I chalked it up to all the neurotic moms in my town not wanting their precious Mary or Jonny traipsing around in the swamp. That whole day I sulked in my chair, looking out the window and daydreaming about what the salt-marshes of Fire Island were like.
But three years later in 6th grade, I had a wake-up call. My best friend Allison was in the hospital with an IV to her chest and no one knew what was wrong with her. I was scared for her and hoped she would get better quick so we could play together and ride our bikes after school and not worry about anything again. The doctors finally determined that Allison had Lyme disease. Lyme disease is the most commonly transmitted tick-borne illness. Thankfully the antibiotics worked well, and the infection did not spread to her central nervous system. In no time at all, Allison was feeling better and back to school.
Since grade school, I’ve met a lot more people who have had Lyme disease. At least three of my co-workers in Riverhead and many of the landscapers I work with out east have had Lyme. Lyme disease is much more prevalent in eastern Long Island than western, because the main vector of the disease is the black-legged tick, also known as the deer tick. Appropriately named, the deer tick must also feed on deer, which are necessary for the ticks’ successful reproduction. So, without deer, there can be no deer ticks or Lyme disease. For all of you in Nassau County who just let out a sigh of relief, deer have recently been found in Oyster Bay and are pushing farther and farther west as their population expands. Who knows, maybe someday we’ll see little Bambis walking around the streets of Hempstead (Hey, if Manhattan can have coyotes, then Hempstead can have deer!).
Photo: Perfect deer and tick habitat - David A. Sarnoff Pine Barrens Preserve, Riverhead
But in the meantime, if you are going to be in parks, woods, fields, or seashores where deer may be, make sure to check yourself for ticks afterwards and know the symptoms of infection. Symptoms may include fever, headache, and fatigue. The characteristic bull’s eye skin rash occurs in only about 80% of people infected and will appear 3-30 days after a bite. If left untreated, the disease may progress to the heart, central nervous system, and joints causing arthritis. Thankfully, Lyme disease is treatable with antibiotics, especially when caught early, so don’t let those thirsty little bloodsuckers get you!
