Infection Are the Ticks Getting More Dangerous?

John Wall

Senior Member
I am 70, have had three bouts with Cancer and Chemo in the last five years. Also picked up Sepsis from a tickbite spring of 2016. The last almost got me. I lucked out, survived it, did not lose any bodyparts, but now, immune system is "sluggish".


Seems every time I get a tickbite, I get SICK. I have an open prescription of a powerful antibiotic from my VA Doc, and if I find a tick or start to get a severe head and whole body ache, I take the 5 day dose.


Am I just susceptible, or are others out there getting the same thing? I live in Middle Tennessee.
 

summerthyme

Administrator
_______________
Possibly the chemo and cancer treatment damaged your immune system? I've heard others say they get sick or cuts, etc get infected much easier after fighting cancer. Also, it's a known fact that our immune systems weaken as we age.

I don't think the average tick bite is any more dangerous than it used to be, but the range of ticks carrying dangerous diseases (Lyme, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and that extremely weird allergy to red meat) is definitely spreading. Dunno if it's due to climate change (not manmade... just the normsl trends), or changes in the environment that favors tick habitat. We haven't seen a tick this year, but 3 years ago, they were awful. Our neighbors had dogs whose entire heads were literally covered with ticks.. I've never seen anything like it.

You'd have to ask your doctor, but you might want to consider trying DiamondX yeast. Shane has written about it here...
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/show...hings-bio-deadly...&highlight=Diamond+x+yeast

I can't see how it could hurt...

Summerthyme
 

susie0884

Dooming since 1998
Tennessee does seems to have a problem. I have some friends that live out west now, but when they lived in TN, the grandmother, the mother and the young daughter all were infected with Lyme and some co-infections. It has been incredibly debilitating to the grandmother and the mother, though the grandmother is finally getting some treatment that is helping. It makes her sicker than a dog when she gets the doses, but it appears to be working, if the die-off doesn't kill her.
 

20Gauge

TB Fanatic
Are you kidding? Everything seems to be getting more dangerous.

From Ticks to food to getting a cold. Everything seems to have adjusted to our tech improvements of the last 150 years and are now bouncing back with a vengeance.

I read about nature adjusting to man when I was a kid and really didn't think much about it. These days? I am beginning to think they understated it.
 

Jubilee on Earth

Veteran Member
This is a yes in my book. We just moved from Michigan where we had deer ticks down to the Ozarks, where they have tiny seed ticks. No bigger than the period at the end of this sentence. The only way to take them off is with a lint roller. Back in September I had both chiggers and tick bites all over my legs. Two weeks later, I came down with hives and a bad case of eczema, both of which now flare up when I eat certain foods (the list is long). I also have two friends down here who have the Alpha-gal meat allergy from ticks.

I’m seriously afraid to go outside this spring.
 

Jackpine Savage

Veteran Member
My Dad had Non-hodgkin's lymphoma and went through several rounds of chemo. He subsequently came down with two cases of anaplasmosis from tick bites. I think, but don't know for sure, that it was because his immune system was compromised, because my Mom had just as many tick bites and never got sick.

But like Summerthyme said, the range of different types of ticks has changed. Growing up here in MN we pretty much found only dog ticks. I've sure I've pulled hundreds of dog ticks off myself over the years, and never got sick. And I don't remember anyone else getting sick either. But starting in the early 80's Deer ticks (now called black legged ticks) started migrating in the from the east and can now be found in the entire state. They were the primary vector for Lyme Disease and seem to be the same for anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, and Ehrlichiosis which I seem to hear about all the time these days.

The best preventative I've found is spraying or soaking your clothes in permethrin.
 

TJA

Veteran Member
Winters don't seem as cold as they used to be and that is leading to more surviving over the winter as well as a longer active time for them in the warmer months. I believe that they can be active as low as 45°. This is also allowing the ticks that are infected with disease to spread that disease further and longer, both are helping spread those diseases through the tick population. Lyme disease has become insanely common in the ticks in the Northeast.
 

Jackpine Savage

Veteran Member
Winters don't seem as cold as they used to be and that is leading to more surviving over the winter as well as a longer active time for them in the warmer months. I believe that they can be active as low as 45°. This is also allowing the ticks that are infected with disease to spread that disease further and longer, both are helping spread those diseases through the tick population. Lyme disease has become insanely common in the ticks in the Northeast.

Our typical season for dog ticks used to be June through August. It was rare to find them before and after that. I find deer ticks before all the snow melts in the spring (March/April) and have found them while butchering deer in November. I really hate those things.
 

Safetydude

Senior Member
Mycoplasma coinfections are very common with tick bites especially any associated with lyme’s. For some good scientific reads go to the Institute of Molecular Medicine (Dr Garth Nicholson, PhD). There are only two labs outside of the CDC that can do the PCR DNA work up for Myco. Fermentans, commonly found with lymes) is a really bad actor and bio-weaponized by the Army (some of the Gulf War 1 syndrome has been attributed to myco infections). Any tick bite these days can cause real issues. Doxy is one of the preferred antibiotics for mycoplasma infections. That’s A 50,000 foot fly over of a very deep web of infectious diseases that have invaded our environment.
 

Old Gray Mare

TB Fanatic
Ever hear of this? I've yet to run into a healthcare provider who has. The Lone Star Tick is now in central PA and they bite hard. I've been bitten by the little buggers and if they latch on they leave a black bruise about a half inch round.

Fair use.
Tick Bites Linked to Red Meat Allergy
FROM THE WEBMD ARCHIVES

Aug. 13, 2014 -- Bites from a certain type of tick can make people allergic to red meat, according to experts.
As Lone Star ticks have spread from the Southwest to the East Coast of the United States, the number of people suffering an allergic reaction after eating red meat has increased, CBS News reported.

However, many doctors and patients are unaware of this growing problem.

"Why would someone think they're allergic to meat when they've been eating it their whole life?" Dr. Erin McGintee told CBS News. She's an allergist who has reportedly seen 200 cases of this type of red meat allergy among people on New York's Long Island.

Lone Star ticks carry a sugar called alpha-gal, which is also found in red meat, but not in people. Normally, alpha-gal in meat poses no problems for people. But when a Lone Star tick bites a person, it transfers alpha-gal into the bloodstream.
As a result, the person's body produces antibodies to fight the sugar. The next time that person eats red meat, their immune system responds to the alpha-gal in the meat and they suffer an allergic reaction that can include itching, burning, hives and even throat swelling, CBS News reported.

In cases of mild allergic reactions, the symptoms can be treated with antihistamines, but severe allergic reactions (anaphylactic shock) require epinephrine. Some people with the red meat allergy carry EpiPens that deliver a shot of epinephrine.

Most allergic reactions to foods occur almost immediately, but red meat allergic reactions can occur up to eight hours after a person eats meat, CBS News reported.

It's not yet known if red meat allergy is permanent. While some people show indications of recovery, others do not.
WebMD News from HealthDay

Link to source:
 

alpha

Veteran Member
Regardless of the causes or future population of deer ticks / Lyme disease here in the NE, it would be prudent to purchase enough doxycycline capsules to treat those showing signs of infection (the dreaded target pattern) after a deer tick bite.
You will, of course, have the option to visit your local urgent care facility. Personally, I'd rather treat at home to avoid the place where sick people go. There's always the additional problem that they may not have any doxycycline available.

My typical sources are suppliers of fish antibiotics and dose according to WebMD etc. YMMV.
 

John Wall

Senior Member
Got a tick bite in the late 80's that caused me to be allergic to beef. Ironic, I had a cattle farm. Accidentally ate a small amount of beef a couple of weeks ago, got sicker than a dog. It has been over 30 years since the bite, seems to be permanent.
 

patriotgal

Veteran Member
Tick bites used to go away fairly quickly. Now they take forever to heal and leave scars. Something is up with them. Have heard other locals say the same thing so I know it isn't just me.
 

Lone_Wolf

Member
I was diagnosed with Alpha-Gal a year and a half ago. It's horrible. Over that time I have switched to ground turkey or chicken and most of my "diet" consists of fruits, vegetables, poultry, and fish. I also have a gluten intolerance now UGH so that shortens my food list even more and being from the south, we love our fried foods :lol:
I had originally gone to the allergist to see if I had any gluten or dairy allergies based upon the reactions I was getting. Both of those came back negative, lots of false positives so they did a blood test and it did show I had a red meat allergy. They asked me if I've ever exposed to any ticks or chiggers and I replied, "I live in SW Missouri, of course, we have ticks and chiggers".
So along with not being able to consume any red meats (mammals), I also cannot tolerate milk. The gluten issue was just an added kick in the ass. I'm guessing maybe the mammal allergy just messed my intestines up so bad that now I can not properly digest (break down) the grains that I once loved.
Some Alpha-gal allergy reactions are worse for people but mine is a minor-mild reaction. I can still use the same toothpaste, shampoo, and such things but some people have reported their allergies are so bad they can't even be in the same room as any mammal products. Word to any travelers heading south, being your tick & chigger spray, wear pantyhose (seriously) and bring a lint roller. Those assholes will latch on quickly!
I miss having REAL bacon!
 
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