Babesiosis Archives » Tick Control in Central Mass

Babesiosis is on the Rise, and Tick Control is More Essential Than Ever

Babesiosis can cause life-threatening symptoms in humans.

You can spend a long time outdoors. But, when you’re in an area with ticks, there’s the risk that you’ll come into contact with some that carry babesiosis. If one of these ticks bites you, you can get infected with babesiosis. At this point, you might not experience any symptoms right away. In the weeks and months to come, you can experience fatigue, nausea, and other symptoms. In the worst-case scenario, Babesiosis can put your life in danger.

Babesiosis

What tick passes babesiosis?

Blacklegged or deer ticks carry babesiosis. These ticks are commonly found in the Northeast portion of the United States. They are often in wooded areas and fields, along with secluded or rural areas. Deer ticks are very small — they reach the size of a poppy seed as adults. Regardless, a blacklegged tick can bite you and infect you with babesiosis at any time. If left unaddressed, your tick bite can cause long-lasting health issues.

Can pets be infected with babesiosis?

Along with people, pets can be infected with babesiosis. For example, a tick carrying babesiosis can climb onto a dog without the animal realizing it. From here, the tick can bite the dog and infect the animal with babesiosis. The tick can continue to feed on the animal for a long time. As it does, the dog may start to have a reduced appetite, show signs of fatigue and lethargy, and display other symptoms of illness. At this point, the pet owner should bring their dog to the veterinarian. Then, the vet can perform testing to determine if the animal is dealing with babesisos and treat it properly.

What is the best way to treat babesiosis?

If you are asymptomatic, you may not require treatment for babesisosis. On the other hand, if you display symptoms of babesisosis, go to a doctor. When you do, your doctor can evaluate your symptoms and determine if they are related to babesisosis. In many instances, a doctor will prescribe you will need to take over the course of seven to 10 days. Follow the doctor’s instructions to manage your babesisosis symptoms. If your symptoms worsen or you experience any health issues as you treat your babesisosis, notify your doctor immediately.

Are there tick control options to protect against babesiosis?

The best things you can do to guard against babesisos include avoiding areas where ticks are present and taking precautions during outdoor activities. For example, rather than walk or hike in a wooded area where you may encounter deer ticks, choose another spot where ticks are less likely to be present. Meanwhile, you can wear long-sleeved shirts and pants in any areas where you may find ticks. You can also check yourself regularly for ticks.

What are the tick control options for your home?

A tick control company can help you keep ticks away from your home. The company can send technicians to your home to find out where ticks populate. These technicians can perform a treatment to reduce the tick population. Finally, they can complete regular tick control treatments to help you manage the tick population at your home now and in the future.

Also read: What is a tick control tube?

Why Do We Have So Many Tick-Borne Illnesses in the Northeast?

Several factors contribute to the tick population increasing in the Northeast.

If you’re wondering why there are so many tick-borne illnesses reported in the Northeast, you’re not alone. Some research suggests the high volume of forests in the Northeast contribute to a high tick population. Meanwhile, research also indicates that land use and climate change are also impacting the tick population and tick-borne illnesses in the Northeast.

Merrimack Tick Control

Environmental Changes are Giving Ticks More Places to Live

Ticks need hosts they can use for blood. In the Northeast, ticks are prone to feed on white-tailed deer and white-footed mice, both of which tend to travel. These deer and mice travel short and long distances alike. As such, they have helped ticks expand their habitat range in the Northeast.

Mild Winters are Helping Ticks Thrive

Tick season is getting longer in the Northeast, according to some experts. Mild winters are helping ticks survive for longer periods of time than ever before. If ticks do not die out in winter, their populations will grow. Thus, ticks can cause serious problems for people in the Northeast year-round.

People Face Heavy Exposure to Ticks

Spring and summer are popular times to get outdoors and explore, particularly in wooded areas where ticks are present. Yet, many people continue to ignore the health risks associated with tick-borne illnesses. If people are not careful around ticks, they risk getting tick bites. When a tick bites a person, it can spread Lyme disease or other diseases that cause long-lasting health problems.

What Tick-Borne Illnesses Should We Be Worried About Besides Lyme Disease?

Anaplasmosis and babesiosis are two of the most common tick-borne illnesses outside of Lyme disease. With anaplasmosis, a person can experience a fever, headache, and other flu-like symptoms. In severe cases, a person may need to be hospitalized due to a weakened immune system. Like anaplasmosis, babesisosis can weaken a person’s immune system. It can also be especially harmful to people who do not have a spleen.

How to Guard Against Tick-Borne Illnesses in the Northeast

Education can play a key role in your ability to protect against tick-borne illnesses. If you know the dangers associated with tick bites, you can remain diligent in areas where ticks may be present. These areas include bushy, grassy, or wooded areas where ticks tend to hide. Also, you can protect your skin by wearing long-sleeve shirts and pants in spaces where there may be ticks. You can apply insect repellent that helps keep ticks away from you, too.

What Merrimack Tick Control Options Are Available?

For the best Merrimack tick control, you can hire professionals. A tick control company has professionals on staff that can evaluate your property. From here, they can apply a tick control treatment that helps you reduce the tick population on your property by up to 90%. This treatment can deliver results that last up to three weeks.

Explore Merrimack Tick Control Options Today

Dave Macchia, tick control enthusiast — Dave Macchia, Central Mass tick control enthusiast

If you want to avoid a tick-borne illness, it helps to invest in tick control for your Merrimack property. With a top-notch Merrimack tick control company at your side, you can limit the tick population on your property. On top of that, you can lower your risk of contracting a tick-borne illness.

Also read: Are Ticks Prevalent in New Hampshire?

Middlesex County: A Babesiosis Hot Spot?

You most definitely know what Lyme disease is if you live in Central Massachusetts. Transmitted by deer ticks, you may not have experienced Lyme directly, but the epidemic proportion to which this disease exists within our area has created broad public awareness.

What you may not be aware of are the other tick-borne diseases that are transmitted in Middlesex County and Worcester County. Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Powassan Virus and Rocky Mountain spotted fever to name a few.

Babesiosis in Middlesex County Mass

Among the plethora of tick-borne diseases spread by deer ticks is Babesiosis. While relatively rare, this disease is mostly found in the Northeastern and the Midwestern United States. So much so, that the CDC reports 95% of Babesiosis cases in the US in 2013 occurred in only seven states; including Massachusetts. While Massachusetts reached an all-time high with 520 confirmed and probable cases of Babesiosis in 2014, we still have had a large number of cases of Babesiosis in 2015 with 445 confirmed and probable. Middlesex County was among the top 5 counties in the state with 65 cases of Babesiosis in 2015.

While there is some growth in awareness of Babesiosis in our area, there is a great deal of important data the public needs to be reminded of to help prevent Babesiosis and recognize it. Disclaimer before reading further: anyone can become sick from Babesiosis during any month of the year.

Seasonality of Babesiosis in Central Massachusetts

Tick-borne diseases have a predictable peak season due to the tick life cycle. For most tick-borne diseases, larval and nymph ticks have to have their first blood meal to become infected. The known exception is Borrelia Miyamotoi which can be passed from a tick mother to her offspring. For Babesiosis, this first blood meal is essential to becoming infected, making June, July, and August more common for the spread of the disease than other months of the year.

2015 Babesiosis by Month 2015 — Massachusetts Department of Public Health

Health Dangers of Babesiosis

Babesiosis is a parasite transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected deer tick. Many people who have Babesiosis feel fine and have no symptoms. Others experience flu-like illness or severe, life-threatening illness if Babesiosis infects the red blood cells. The variety of symptoms felt can also be tricky, Massachusetts Department of Public Health reported the symptoms of 2015 Massachusetts’ cases as:

72% fatigue
68% fever
58% depression
50% muscle aches
49% chills

Babesiosis is Discriminatory

While anyone can become ill from Babesiosis, clinical illness from Babesiosis is more common among a certain portion of the population. Those age 60 or older are at the greatest risk for clinical disease. Also, those without a spleen, weakened immune system, or those with other serious health issues such as liver or kidney disease. Note the chart below; there is a clear age discrimination for the onset of clinical illness from Babesiosis in Massachusetts 2015 cases. If you are within this high-risk category, you should be taking extra precautions to avoid deer ticks, especially during the peak seasons as shown above.

2015 Babesiosis mass — Massachusetts Department of Public Health

I am committed to providing you the best most up-to-date information on the threat of tick-borne diseases in Central Mass. Stay tuned for the latest on ticks in the area. Be sure to follow the 6 C’s tick control to make certain your yard is not inadvertently attracting ticks.

Babesiosis in Central Massachusetts: A Danger to Dogs & Humans

Much of the discussion about tick-borne diseases in Central Massachusetts is centered around Lyme Disease. While Lyme is certainly a worthy subject, we would be remiss to not share with you important information about other dangerous tick-borne diseases which could be transmitted in Chelmsford, Cambridge and the surrounding area.

Babesiosis is the disease in question. A dangerous disease for humans and their furry best friends, dogs.

Babesiosis in Central Massachusetts Dogs

Currently, there is a large outbreak of Babesiosis in dogs in the United Kingdom, which serves as a reminder that it could happen here too. The Babesia canis vogeli, Babesia gibsoni and the Babesisa conradae are the three parasites that can cause Babesiosis illness in our canine friends. These parasites are transmitted to your dog through the saliva of an infected American dog tick, sometimes known as the “wood tick”. Removing an infected tick safely and promptly can prevent the transmission of parasites and other pathogens.

According to the Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC), symptoms of Babesiosis in dogs can include hemolytic anemia, anorexia, depression, fever, a pale complexion, an enlarged spleen or bounding pulse. Infected dogs can usually be treated successfully with an antiprotozoal medication, although late or undiagnosed cases could lead to death. If you suspect your dog has Babesiosis illness, see your veterinarian right away. The CAPC recommends treating your pets with tick control medication year round to lower your dog’s risks. As with all dog medication, follow your veterinarian’s advice closely.

Babesiosis in Central Massachusetts Humans

Babesiosis illness in humans is usually caused by the parasite Babesia microti. Human Babesiosis is spread by deer ticks (black-legged ticks) rather than the American dog tick. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Babesiosis in humans can range “from asymptomatic to life-threatening.” Massachusetts happens to be among the 7 states that account for 95% of the cases of Babesiosis reported in 2013.

While many people infected with Babesia microti never experience any symptoms, those who do may feel flu-like. Symptoms can include a headache, body aches, fever, chills, sweats, loss of appetite, nausea or fatigue. Some cases can cause hemolytic anemia which can lead to jaundice. Babesiosis can be severe and even life-threatening, especially in people who do not have a spleen, have a weakened immune system, the elderly or those with another serious health condition such as liver or kidney disease.

Babesiosis can be effectively treated with a 7-10 day combination therapy of antibiotic and anti-parasitic drugs. Be sure to see your doctor immediately if you suspect you may have transmitted Babesiosis.

Stay tuned for the latest on ticks in Central Mass. Be sure to follow the 6 C’s of tick control to make certain your yard is not inadvertently attracting ticks.