Oregon Hikers

Hiked part of Swale Canyon with a friend. He found a tick the next day AND the dreaded bulls eye circles around it. Into the doctor he goes. I suppose that is confirmation that Lyme-infected ticks are there?

Yes. Ixodes pacificus (or deer tick) is present in Western Oregon and along the Columbia River in lower elevations. It can (and does) transmit the Lyme disease bacterium. During the past six years (2011-17), 40–50 human cases of Lyme disease have been reported in Oregon each year. In 2015, 120 cases of Lyme disease were reported in dogs.

So much for my hope that this time of year is safe from those damn things. I hope your friend is well quickly and without side effects.

I think it's easily treated if done so promptly

If you delay treating, then you can get into this zone where the doctors say you're cured but you still have symptoms. Treating the delayed symptoms is controversial, maybe it's ineffective, maybe you'll get better eventually anyway,...

Webfoot wrote:So much for my hope that this time of year is safe from those damn things.

Especially with our mild winter this year, it is not cold enough to kill them or make them hide.

In related news, I read this the other day:

Forget Ebola, Sars and Zika: ticks are the next global health threat
https://www.theguardian.com/science/blo ... lth-threat

drm wrote:Hiked part of Swale Canyon with a friend. He found a tick the next day AND the dreaded bulls eye circles around it. Into the doctor he goes. I suppose that is confirmation that Lyme-infected ticks are there?

Not necessarily. The Lyme "bullseye" is supposed to show up in 3 to 30 days. If he saw it within 24 hours, it might have been a more mundane dermatological reaction.

VanMarmot wrote:During the past six years (2011-17), 40–50 human cases of Lyme disease have been reported in Oregon each year. In 2015, 120 cases of Lyme disease were reported in dogs.

It was my understanding that diagnosed case in Oregon does not necessarily have bearing on where it was contracted. There's a lot of cross country travel. And if you lived in CT or PA for 3 years and moved here 3 years ago and finally got a diagnosis, that counts as an Oregon Diagnosis.

Where's the source on this, 120 cases in dogs in 1 year vs 40-50 over 6 years for humans.. I realize dogs definitely pick up the ticks at a much higher rate, but they also don't travel to hike nearly as much as humans do.. that would seem to indicate a lot more lyme presence in Oregon, at least to me.

Water wrote:

VanMarmot wrote:During the past six years (2011-17), 40–50 human cases of Lyme disease have been reported in Oregon each year. In 2015, 120 cases of Lyme disease were reported in dogs.

It was my understanding that diagnosed case in Oregon does not necessarily have bearing on where it was contracted. There's a lot of cross country travel. And if you lived in CT or PA for 3 years and moved here 3 years ago and finally got a diagnosis, that counts as an Oregon Diagnosis.

The Washington Dept of Health estimates, of the 7-23 human cases per year total, that 0-3 cases per year are contracted in state.

Water wrote:Where's the source on this, 120 cases in dogs in 1 year vs 40-50 over 6 years for humans.. I realize dogs definitely pick up the ticks at a much higher rate, but they also don't travel to hike nearly as much as humans do.. that would seem to indicate a lot more lyme presence in Oregon, at least to me.

Intriguing question. Another possibility... Lots of shelter/rescue dogs from other parts of the country, where kill shelters are apparently more common, are sent here. We're a big-hearted people out here on the Left Coast!

FYI: A tick generally needs to be attached for 24hrs+ for Lyme disease transmission.

Per the CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/transmission/index.html

In most cases, the tick must be attached for 36 to 48 hours or more before the Lyme disease bacterium can be transmitted.

That said, ticks can carry other diseases too.