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Many people think a robust deer population is to blame for the rising rates of Lyme disease in many states. But a new study appearing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests it's the decline of another animal that's actually causing the Lyme disease spike. Researchers found that as coyotes expand their range and build a larger population, they're feeding on more red foxes, who would typically control Lyme-disease-carrying mice. Deer also carry Lyme, but this study suggests that deer populations had little to do with Lyme disease epidemics in certain states.
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that causes a wide range of waxing and waning symptoms, making it sometimes hard to diagnose the disease. While finding a bull's-eye rash on your body after a tick bite is a surefire way to tell you've been infected with Lyme, many people never get the rash. In fact, most people with chronic Lyme never even recall being bitten by a tick in the first place.
If you do find a tick attached to you, it's easy to get it tested. (Just don't put it in alcohol.) New Jersey Laboratories and other labs around the country provide instructions on how to submit a tick for testing.
While many tick control measures, such as toxic bug sprays, can cause their own problems, some tick experts say using lemon-based products can help naturally deter ticks. Researchers have also found that getting a shower right after being outside can help knock off ticks that haven't yet attached.
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that causes a wide range of waxing and waning symptoms, making it sometimes hard to diagnose the disease. While finding a bull's-eye rash on your body after a tick bite is a surefire way to tell you've been infected with Lyme, many people never get the rash. In fact, most people with chronic Lyme never even recall being bitten by a tick in the first place.
If you do find a tick attached to you, it's easy to get it tested. (Just don't put it in alcohol.) New Jersey Laboratories and other labs around the country provide instructions on how to submit a tick for testing.
While many tick control measures, such as toxic bug sprays, can cause their own problems, some tick experts say using lemon-based products can help naturally deter ticks. Researchers have also found that getting a shower right after being outside can help knock off ticks that haven't yet attached.