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A Plymouth-based citizen study revealed what appears to be the first case of new tick-borne illness in New Hampshire and has also produced unwanted information: Tick bites are dangerous all year round.
The first year of research from BeBop Labs, a non-profit association, has revealed that even though the risk of getting a tick decreases in winter, even though it does not go away entirely unless the soil is covered of snow, diseases transmitted by tick bites, especially Lyme disease, do not dissipate.
"When we looked at what time of year did we find tick – borne diseases (in ticks), there was no trend. It really looks like there are diseases all year, even co-infections; no pics, no trends, "said Kaitlyn Morse, Ph.D. who started and operates the non-profit BeBop Labs in Plymouth.
This is the first set of tick tests found and sent by volunteers. Last year, 1,654 ticks were sent – 1,100 dog ticks and 554 blacklegged ticks, often referred to as deer ticks. Of these, 822 have been tested for a number of diseases. Depending on where they were collected, between a quarter and a half of ticks carry pathogens causing at least one disease, usually Lyme disease.
Between 5% and 10% of ticks were carriers of a pathogen called anaplasose, while a third pathogen commonly associated with blacklegged ticks, the baseia, was more erratic. In Merrimack County, 12.5% of ticks wore babesia as nearly as many in Rockingham County, but in half of the counties in the state they were not found.
More results can be found on the website, www.bebop-labs.com/. The program focuses on prevention – dress and behave in ways that minimize the risk of getting a tick.
Morse cautioned against over reading the data because they only represent one year.
"In my opinion, I think it takes three years of data to clear a real trend. Some counties are not well represented, "she said. "But that's, I think, an indication of what's going on."
The data on the disease were combined with public data from the UMass Amherst Medical Zoology Laboratory and a company called Ticknology, she said.
Last year, the program asked people to send ticks, tear off their clothes or their skin, as well as information on when and where they were found. The goal is to create special information about the risk of contracting Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases.
The first year population figures confirmed that it was well established that there was a breeding season for ticks carrying Lyme disease and related diseases – in fact, two seasons.
Currently, it is the black-legged tick season, often referred to as deer ticks, as well as dog ticks, since newborn ticks are out and hungry in April and May. According to data from Beops Labs, the months of September and October are also preferred for blacklegged ticks, while they are massive for the winter, while ticks in dogs rarely meet after the early summer. Dog ticks are of less concern to people; None of the cases tested by the group carried Lyme disease or other diseases.
A surprising and troubling element of the tick test was the presence of a pathogen called miyamotoi.
"This is the case documented in New Hampshire ticks with miyamotoi," said Morse.
Although this disease was much less prevalent than Lyme disease, it was about as common as another pathogen causing the disease, babesia, which is often found in Lyme ticks. . In fact, in ticks collected in Grafton County, miyamotoi was found in 5% of ticks, compared to only 3% in babesia.
BeBop Labs, named after the chocolatier Laborador de Morse, seeks to combine research on tick-borne diseases, GIS mapping and sociological research with public awareness and education. He received confirmation as a tax-exempt non-profit organization this month.
Morse started the project in part because she felt that understanding of tick-borne diseases was lacking in central and northern New Hampshire, as compared to a long-standing concern in the southern parts of the country. 39; State.
"Neighboring states have more data and information than New Hampshire, they have programs in place. New Hampshire often follows their example, "she said. "This could make New Hampshire a leader in tick surveillance – using practical science, inviting everyone to proactively answer their own questions."
(David Brooks can be reached at 369-3313, [email protected] or on Twitter @GraniteGeek.)
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