"From New York State Department of Health website:
The disease can be spread when an infected tick bites a person and stays attached for a period of time. In most cases, the tick must be attached for 36 hours or more before the bacteria can be transmitted."
My thoughts are that as long as the tick is able to BITE you, which means there is some sharing of fluids, than transmission of a disease the tick is carrying is quite possible. I have no idea where 36 hours is the "magic" time that the bacteria is transmitted. I would like to see the research behind it. Maybe they wrote this because they don't want people running around in terror because they pulled a tick off.
Feel free to comment on this post below.
My thoughts are that as long as the tick is able to BITE you, which means there is some sharing of fluids, than transmission of a disease the tick is carrying is quite possible. I have no idea where 36 hours is the "magic" time that the bacteria is transmitted. I would like to see the research behind it. Maybe they wrote this because they don't want people running around in terror because they pulled a tick off.
Feel free to comment on this post below.
I live in NY State and worked as an RN here until I became too ill to do so last summer. CFIDS diagnosed 20 years ago and was really Lyme. Don't remember a bite, no initial rash.
ReplyDeleteThat recommendation of "must be attached 36-72 hours" is what is given to the healthcare providers to help them determine whether antibiotics should be given or not. Also they are still being told that even with so many ticks out there few are infected so the chance of contracting Lyme is very rare!!
They are also told the rash happens in the majority of cases which is not true at all, it occurs in only 50% of cases. There are over 100 strains of the Lyme bacteria in the US, not all cause the same symptoms which is probably why all of us do not "cure" as easily with the same treatments.
The Hudson Valley and Long Island have overwhelming amounts of Lyme.
A state park in Central NY State had ticks tested by the DEC last fall and 63% were found to be infected with Lyme yet we are still being told that there is very little chance of infection after a bite around here.
Come to your own conclusions of why that is, it is mind boggling to me.
Thanks for sharing this information Renee. My feelings that knowing how ticks breed and feed that it's more likely the tick that bites you in a tick that's infected with something.
ReplyDeleteWhy people are still being told about this 24-36 hr attachment thing seems to be audacious.
The rash probably occurs in atleast 50% of people just because it's highly likely it's not the first time they have been bitten or exposed to a tick born infection.
I was very diligent examining myself after working in the garden. I am 100% sure that I pulled a tick off myself within an hour after it attached itself. A week later I got the rash behind my knee where it had attached and went on a course of doxicyline for one month. I strongly question the 24 - 36 hour time period that it takes for the bacteria to be exchanged.
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