http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-tick-bite-verdict-stands-20180209-story.html
I realize this specific case concerned a bite that happened in China, but families should be aware that this is a real issue in the NE. Ticks are a serious threat, and I was so happy to see a large sign in one school that reminded students to do a tick check every day. Many of the campuses have ideal conditions for ticks, and students should be aware of the risk, and steps they can take to mitigate that risk. Daily checks are a must, as are basic safety precautions in the woods (stay on the trail/path, no open shoes, tuck pants into socks). We also pretreat all of our family’s shoes, hiking socks and pants with permethrin, and use DEET repellants. Tick-borne illnesses go far beyond Lyme Disease, which can be devastating in its own right.
My kid was at the Hotchkiss summer portals last summer. There were specific instructions / warnings sent out in the pre-arrival package about ticks on campus, and also if I remember correctly signs posted on all the dorm exit doors warning the kids about them as well. Being from New England ticks are always something to be aware of - I have pulled plenty off of myself (and our dogs) over the years. I don’t know all the details of this case, but it sure seems like this was one of those freak occurrences … could have been one of any random low-probability events with (unfortunately) very serious repercussions…
The thought of ticks and Lyme Disease just scares the heck out of me … especially with the super strain everyone is talking about now. I know so many people who have gotten it and had to do the IV thing and it took absolutely forever to get over it- and some people never got back to 100%. I feel so lucky because when I got it it was a simple course of antibiotics and it was over. This story was so heartbreaking and so devastating for the young lady and her family. I can’t even imagine… whether you agree with the verdict or not. Just unbelievably sad.
FWIW- I have dogs and we hike a lot in open space and wooded trails . I was constantly doing tick checks until I found Wondercide ( which is cedar oil ). The dogs hated it at first but I was like- No spray - No walk! I rub it all over them and I haven’t had one attached tick. I LOVE this stuff… I spray it everywhere inside and outside and it smells pretty good, too. ( Disclaimer: Probably not but I’m used to it now. People who enter my house are probably thinking Whoa- step away from the cedar oil… ) I rub it on my clothes when I walk or putter around outside and spray everyone and everything . It’s almost obsessive.
I chase my husband around the house and spray him, too…
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We don’t have ticks, so I spayed rather then sprayed mine.
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^^ Yikes!
Should it be pinned, maybe under a different name to make people aware that ticks/Lyme exist?
Wondering, how is the tick/Lyme situation in different regions?
Where is this an issue and where it’s not? I understand rural vs urban etc.
Maybe parents can share their thoughts and experience?
I wouldn’t consider Lyme an “issue”, so much as something to be aware of and filed away accordingly. It’s a simple reality of living in the NE, but it is still overall very uncommon, particularly on the list of “stuff to worry about”. People who enjoy the outdoors should do tick checks, but no further concern is necessary. Other regions have their parasite-, environmental- and food-borne illnesses too, like various mosquito-borne encephalitis viruses, histoplasmosis, cysticercosis, etc.
And as far as infectious diseases spread on any campus (BS, college or other), there are far more common pathogens to be aware of.
I agree that Lyme is a simple fact of living in the northeast. I wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss it, though. In some regions 50% of ticks carry lyme. However, I wouldn’t really factor Lyme into a boarding school decision, it is in just about every state and is prevalent in all northeastern ones, and in suburban areas as well as rural ones. So for boarding schools it’s a wash.
While Lyme is an issue throughout the Northeast, this tick bite occurred in China and caused tick-borne encephalitis. While also found in Russia and Europe, it is extremely rare (nonexistent?) in the US. Here’s a link to an article that isn’t behind a paywall:
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If people do not know about ticks or Lyme disease or how the disease is transmitted or that Hotchkiss is located in the boonies, pinning a thread will not help.
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The title of this thread is misleading. The tick bite occurred in China – not on the Hotchkiss campus.
Ticks are a problem all over the Northeast, and a growing problem in other areas of the country.
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