The THREAT of LYME DISEASE 

 in NEW HAMPSHIRE 



M 



(any New Hampshire resi- 

 dents have heard a lot about Lyme 

 Disease recently. The disease is 

 caused by a bacterium which can be 

 transmitted by the bite of a certain 

 species of tick. This species, Ixodes 

 dammini, was first detected in New 

 Hampshire in 1985 and is becoming 

 more common. People who work out- 

 doors (like plant growers) should be 

 informed. 



Symptoms of Lyme Disease frequent- 

 ly (not always) begin with a red zone 

 around the site of the bite. This usu- 

 ally appears within 20 days of being 

 bitten by an infected tick. It slowly 

 expands in size, and is often ring-like 

 and warm to the touch. The rash 

 fades and eventually disappears. Not 

 every victim shows this characteris- 

 tic rash. Other symptoms include 

 fatigue, fever, headaches, and stiff- 

 ness and pain in muscles and joints. If 

 left untreated, irregular heartbeat, 

 arthritis (esp. knees) and nervous 

 systems disorders can result. The 

 symptoms mimic many other dis- 

 eases, so physicians check blood tests 

 and symptoms when diagnosing pa- 

 tients. 



Most human cases are contracted 

 ft-om encounters with the tiny 

 nymphs of this species. They are 

 about the size of a poppy seed, so 

 many victims are unaware that they 

 have been bitten. Data from southern 

 Maine suggests that a low percentage 

 of our ticks actually carry the bacte- 

 rium that causes the disease. 



There has been almost no informa- 

 tion on the number or geographic 

 distribution of human Lyme Disease 

 cases in New Hampshire. Also, until 

 now there has been very little data 

 on the distribution of Ixodes dammi- 

 ni in the state. Lacking this infor- 

 mation, we have had two problems: 

 1. Many residents and visitors to low 

 risk areas of the state have been 

 needlessly worried. 2. Others, who 



DR. AUN T. EATON 



TICKS- 

 ENGORGED FEMALE ON RIGHT 



live in higher risk spots, may have 

 been oblivious to the threat. 



During the fall of 1990, 1 checked deer 

 and moose for this tick. Added to our 

 previous data, the studies gave 

 enough information to alleviate both 

 problems. As the map shows, the 

 "deer tick" is not evenly distributed 

 in New Hampshire. The highest 

 populations are in Strafford and 

 Rockingham counties. No doubt they 

 occur in other towns, in addition to 

 those noted. The tick also has been 

 found along the eastern edge of 

 Hillsborough, Merrimack, and Bel- 

 knap counties. In the West, ticks and 

 Lyme Disease cases in dogs tend to be 

 found in those towns that border 

 the Connecticut River. Elsewhere in 

 the state, the tick is scattered and 

 irregularly found. 



There is little data from the northern 

 section of the state, but the discovery 

 of a tick on a moose in Berlin points 

 out the possibility that the tick may 

 occur where moose are abundant. 

 One caution should be mentioned. 

 Survey efforts have not been evenly 

 distributed across the state. Grafton 

 County, for example, has not been 

 adequately surveyed. We will have a 

 more accurate picture as time goes on . 



Places which have all three of the 

 following characteristics are of 

 greatestconcern: 1. Southeastern NH 

 2. where deer are abundant, and 3. in 

 tall grass and/or thick brush. The 

 best way to avoid contracting Lyme 

 Disease is to stay out of such areas, 

 especially fromMay through October. 

 If you do visit such places, wear long 

 pants and tuck your pant cuffs into 

 your socks. A long sleeved shirt with 

 snug cuffs and collar, tucked in at the 

 waist completes the outfit. Yes, this 

 is recommended for both men and 



women. The purpose of dressing this 

 way is to keep any ticks you encoun- 

 ter on the outside of your clothing, 

 where they maybe spottedor brushed 

 off. It helps if the clothing is light 

 colored, since the ticks are dark. 

 Applying an insect repellant to your 

 pantlegcan add more protection. At 

 the end of the day, a strip search will 

 reveal any ticks that got by your de- 

 fenses. 



If you find a tick that you would like 

 identified, you can take it to either of 

 two places: 1. The state entomologist. 

 Health & Human Services Building, 

 Hazen Drive, Concord NH or 2. your 

 County office of UNH Cooperative 

 Extension. Ifyour sample is not im- 

 mediately recognized (some are 

 difficult) there may be a $3.00 fee for 

 identifications through UNH Coop- 

 erative Extension. 



Lyme Disease is successfully treated 

 with antibiotics when caught in the 

 early stages. Treatment during the 

 later stages is less successful. Com- 

 pared with some parts of the 

 Northeast, the threat of Lyme Dis- 

 ease here is low. For more informa- 

 tion on ticks and Lyme Disease in 

 New Hampshire, contact UNH Coop- 

 erative Extension for the $.50 

 publication. Biology and Control of 

 TYcks in New Hampshire. ^*^ 



Acknowledgement: Most of the tick 

 data presented on the map are from A 

 T. Eaton. Additional data were pro- 

 vided by Drs. J. F. Burger, Clifford 

 McGinnis, and S. E. Thewke. 



Alan Eaton is an Extension Special- 

 ist, Entomology, UNH Cooperative 

 Extension. 



April/May 1991 15 



