Birds May spread Lyme Disease

[philamom]

Birds May Spread Lyme Disease

January 4, 2010 The range of Lyme disease is spreading in North America and it appears that birds play a significant role by transporting the Lyme disease bacterium over long distances, a new study by the Yale School of Public Health has found.

Researchers analyzed published records and concluded that at least 70 species of North American birds are susceptible to infection by black-legged ticks (Ixodes scapularis), the principal vector of the Lyme disease bacterium (Borrelia burgdorferi). The evidence also suggests that these bird species are dispersing infected ticks into areas that had previously been free of the disease, such as Canada.

 

Lyme disease bacterium is usually associated with small mammals such as mice and squirrels. Immature ticks (in the larval and nymphal stages) become infected with the bacterium when they feed on these mammals. During subsequent blood meals, an infected tick transmits the infection to other hosts, including humans. White-tailed deer—while playing an important role in maintaining and spreading tick populations—are a biological dead end for the bacterium because its blood is immune to infection.

 

Birds, however, are not immune and numerous species get infected and are capable of transmitting the pathogen onto ticks, the researchers found. What remains to be seen is whether the B. burgdorferi strains that can infect birds can also cause disease in humans, If so, the role of birds in the epidemiology of Lyme disease could be profound.

 

“Birds are often overlooked in Lyme disease studies” said Robert Brinkerhoff, a post-doctoral student in Maria A. Diuk-Wasser’s lab at the School of Public Health and first author of the paper, “but they may be playing a key role in its rapid expansion.”

 

The researchers found that I. scapularis most consistently parasitizes bird species such as thrushes, brown thrashers, wrens and wood warblers. The authors estimate that as few as three individual birds are needed to infect one black-legged tick with the bacterium. The research appears this month in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment.

 

Lyme disease can cause severe health problems, including arthritis, nervous system abnormalities and irregular heart rhythm. It is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States, with the number of reported human infections doubling between 1992 and 2006.

 

Others authors of the paper include research assistant Corrine M. Folsom-O’Keefe, Kimberly Tsao, a Ph.D. student, and Maria Diuk-Wasser, assistant professor, all at the Yale School of Public Health.

 

Source: Yale School of Public Health, by Michael Greenwood

[NancyD]

Not at all surprised by this. Birds carry lots of diseases. Mercury too. Here's a tutorial created by School of Veterinary Medicine at University of Wisconsin-Madison on ZOONOTIC DISEASES, diseases caused by infectious agents that can be transmitted between (or are shared by) animals and humans: http://www.vetmed.wisc.edu/pbs/zoonoses/.

[sf_mom]

Sorry for my cynical perspective but aren't they just flying RATS?

[PacificMama]

Yep... we ditched the back yard bird feeders long ago.

[lyme_mom]

We did too! :-). From what I read the plum island lab us in the path of the migrating birds and this contributed to the cow getting out of the barn so fast. U can learn more about this from the special on the topic by Jessie Ventura in his neecshow Conspracy. I have the link somewhere and I wil post when I find it.

[lyme_mom]

We did too! :-). From what I read the plum island lab us in the path of the migrating birds and this contributed to the cow getting out of the barn so fast. U can learn more about this from the special on the topic by Jessie Ventura in his neecshow Conspracy. I have the link somewhere and I wil post when I find it.

Here is the link to the show about Plum Island.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciLm9U89ytc It may be a little hard to follow if you don't know the background. I read Lab 257 which gives the whole story and it is very credible.

[matis_mom]

We're doomed!!! Just kidding

Wrens? Thrushes? Really? They are sooooo cute!!!

It's good to be informed, but it seems there really is no way to get away from it, is there?

And I was trying to convince my husband to put a four-post feeder... what would be the point if a bird can fly in and drop an infected tick right next to the house!

It almost makes me feel better to know that there really is only so much one can do to prevent it.

I found this handbook very good in terms of what you can do around the house to cut down on ticks.

Come spring I am planning to plant some plants that deter ticks, and clean up the yard a bit more.

Yesterday dh was all energetic and taking care of business outside and got his leg badly hurt, so I guess the heavy stuff will definitely have to wait till spring...

 

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/lyme/resources/handbook.pdf

[philamom]

Mati's mom-

I'm not sure where you're located but here's a company that does Tick Control Services.

 

www.nixticks.com

www.maxforcetms.net

1-888-NIX TICKS

[matis_mom]

Mati's mom-

I'm not sure where you're located but here's a company that does Tick Control Services.

 

www.nixticks.com

www.maxforcetms.net

1-888-NIX TICKS

Thanks! I think we'll start by setting out Damminix tubes. Something's got to give!