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Vector-borne diseases are illnesses spread primarily by ticks and mosquitos, and the complex pathogens pose a significant threat to our health. The two primary culprits of spreading vector-borne disease in Minnesota are deer (Ixodes scapularis) and wood (Dermacentor Variabilis) ticks.
A few of the most common diseases found in Minnesota are Lyme Disease, Human Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and Tularemia. In addition, some of the diseases that mosquitoes spread include the West Nile virus.
There have been new species of bacteria that have been found on Camp Ripley. These new species were found during a tick collection conducted by the Minnesota Department of Health and Camp Ripley Environmental Team. To better understand the diseases that spread through the state, the Minnesota department of health conducts annual surveillance for ticks and mosquitos.
Since 2005 the department of health has been collecting ticks at Camp Ripley and other locations throughout Minnesota. Collecting Ticks is how they can provide accurate and concise statistics. They calculate the statistics based on distance and the ticks they gathered in a specific measured area.
First, they measure how far they will collect and then how wide. Next, the collectors will walk through that area with a piece of cloth that the ticks can easily attach themselves to. Then they will collect those ticks from the fabric. Finally, the ticks are sent off and tested for pathogens.
They do this as the control area to determine if a person is to travel 100 meters; what are their chances of coming across a tick carrying a vector-borne disease?
These studies allow insight into the ticks' activity, enabling us to track changes in population or behaviors. Each season is slightly different for ticks; some differences include the ratio of males to females, the number of ticks in a given population, and their location. These differences in population would determine how much more likely you are to have one latch by changing the density and gender since the male ticks typically do not latch as females do.
Ticks are seasonal and are only out for a short window, and that window can vary by a couple of weeks. Each season is different based on various factors such as how the winter is, how dry it is, etc. Collecting more ticks gives them a better understanding of what diseases are active in other areas throughout Minnesota.
The tick has four life stages: the egg, the larva, the nymph, and the adult. On average, in Minnesota, during the adult stage, there is a 1 in 3 chance of contracting Lyme Disease from a bite, and during the nymph stage, there is a 1 in 5 chance of contracting Lyme Disease.
The best way to prevent vector-borne disease is to use repellents such as DEET or permethrin. If you come in contact with wooded or grassy areas, thoroughly check yourself for ticks. It generally takes 12 hours of latch time to contract anaplasmosis and 24 hours to contract Lyme disease.
To remove the tick using clean, fine-tipped tweezers. Grasp the whole body of the tick as close to the head as possible. Pull up with a steady amount of pressure. Do not twist, shake, or jerk the tick. This action can cause the head to break off and remain in the skin. If that happens, continue to remove the tick with tweezers.
| Date Taken: | 07.06.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 07.06.2022 14:12 |
| Story ID: | 424433 |
| Location: | MN, US |
| Web Views: | 92 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Tick Talk, by SGT Austyn Aagaard, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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