Published Date: 2003-06-03 23:50:00
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Lyme borreliosis, ticks - USA (MI, IN)
Archive Number: 20030603.1357
LYME BORRELIOSIS, TICKS - USA (MICHIGAN, INDIANA)
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Date: Tue, 3 Jun 2003 12:19:46 +0100
From: A-Lan Banks <a-Lan.Banks@derwent.co.uk>
Source: South Bend Tribune Sat, 31 May 2003 [edited]
<http://www.southbendtribune.com/stories/2003/05/31/local.20030531-sbt-MICH-A>
Lyme disease has arrived for the summer in Michigan's Berrien, Cass,
and Van Buren counties, district health officials said Fri, 30 May
2003. The only area in Michigan where Lyme disease had been found
was in southern Menominee County in the Upper Peninsula near
Wisconsin. But testing by Michigan State University through tick and
rodent surveys has discovered the disease in the 3 counties along
with Allegan County, said Dr. John Spriegel, medical director with
the Van Buren/Cass County District Health Department and deputy
medical director with the Berrien County Health Department. It has
also been found in northwest Indiana.
The carrier in southwestern Michigan is the black-legged tick,
formerly [and still commonly - Mod. LL] known as the deer tick. Of 52
sites checked in a 5-county area, including in St. Joseph and Allegan
counties, 10 have shown signs of infection in the ticks. The sites
where the disease-carrying ticks have been primarily found are along
Lake Michigan, although Spriegel said 2 locations inland have also
tested positive.
Lyme disease is caused by a bacterium (_Borrelia burgdorferi_)
transmitted by the black-legged tick. The tick is found in high
grassy areas, open fields, and in woods containing thick shrubs and
plants at ground level. The most common tick found in Michiana [A
term referring to the northern portion of Indiana and southwestern
portion of Michigan.] is the American dog tick, which is not a vector
of Lyme disease.
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ProMED-mail
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[_Ixodes scapularis_, the black-legged tick or deer tick, is a member
of the hard tick family (family Ixodidae). Hard ticks get their name
from the hard plate on top of the body. They hold their mouthparts
forward, unlike soft ticks, whose mouthparts are attached underneath
at the front. Most hard ticks are 1/16-1/8" (2-4 mm) long. They feed
on 2 or 3 hosts, in contrast to soft ticks, which parasitize only 1
host. Males of certain species do not feed. The female lays many eggs
and dies.
This finding of the organism in the tick vector does not necessarily
suggest that, at this point, human cases of Lyme borreliosis have
occurred. As the density of infected ticks increases, especially in
areas where a human population inhabits, works, or plays, the human
disease will become manifest. - Mod.LL]
See Also
Lyme disease-like illness - USA (MT) 20030305.05502002
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Lyme disease - Canada (Nova Scotia) 20020930.5431
Lyme disease - USA (Massachusetts) (03) 20020713.4747
Lyme disease - USA (California) (03) 20020523.4300
Lyme disease - USA (California) 20020518.4263
Lyme disease - USA (Massachusetts) (02) 20020516.4231
Lyme disease - USA (Massachusetts) 20020514.4203
2000
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Lyme disease - USA (Nevada): RFI 20000913.1563
Lyme disease - 1992-1998 - USA 20000428.0641
1999
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Lyme disease variant? - USA (southeast) 19991106.1986
Lyme disease, bird tick - Canada (Nova Scotia) 19990916.1657
1997
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Lyme disease, 1982-1996 - USA 19970623.1341
Lyme disease - 1994-1996 - USA 19970614.1247
.......................ll/pg/lm
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