First tick of the year

[silentorpheus]

Found out today that hubby's Lyme Disease test was negative. Guess he had an allergic reaction to a tick bite or something.

Good to hear!

[grannypat]

Found out today that hubby's Lyme Disease test was negative. Guess he had an allergic reaction to a tick bite or something.

Well, that is good!

[Chug]

Good news.. But good Reminder to tick check often and Spray gear.

I hate ticks!!!. and skeeters..

[Junebugdawn]

Thanks! It's a relief for sure. One of my girls pulled one off herself last night. I'm definitely treating all my gear before my trip in two weeks.

[nartoff]

I can't pass by a thread about ticks without adding my vital two cents:

Ticks are evil, evil creatures and I hate them.

That is all.

[jerzybears]

Ahhh...my first tick! Boy does that take me back...... Worse was where it was!

[Deadphans]

I had my first one this year today. I am actually surprised it took this long, I work in the field!

[DREL]

1. Junebug glad to hear that your other half is ok.

2. i had to read this thread! with my first outing this year, being next week! my skin is crawling after reading this thread...UUUGh!!! carry mini steaks with you at all time's. i agree eat your garlic.

[silentorpheus]

1. Junebug glad to hear that your other half is ok.

2. i had to read this thread! with my first outing this year, being next week! my skin is crawling after reading this thread...UUUGh!!! carry mini steaks with you at all time's. i agree eat your garlic.

Then again - SilvrSurfr and I have gone on two trips into the Pine Barrens so far this spring/summer. And I haven't seen a single tick. Treated my clothing with permethrin - so maybe that's helped.

Not that I'm complaining ...

[Unitic]

Found out today that hubby's Lyme Disease test was negative. Guess he had an allergic reaction to a tick bite or something.

I'm not trying to be a fear monger here, but a word of caution about the Lyme blood tests. The ELISA and the Western Blot are not very sensitive tests and may return as much as 40-50% false negatives. They both only test for the presence of the specific antibodies your immune system produces in response to the presence of the Lyme bacteria. But Lyme is a master at suppressing and tricking the immune system. In addition, both of these tests are most effective (actually the ELISA is virtually worthless most of the time) if given between 2 weeks and 6 weeks after the bite. If given too early, the body may not have yet produced enough antibodies for a positive, and if given too late the infection may have spread and severely suppressed the immune response. These tests are so poor that Virginia's Gov. just signed into law the 2013 Lyme Test Disclosure Act that mandates that MD's who order these tests provide a written statement to each patient about the nature of these tests and that a negative response does not rule out Lyme disease. The CDC states that Lyme must be a clinical diagnosis and these tests should only be used as a secondary diagnostic tool. The substandard nature of these tests, and their improper application as a primary diagnostic tool, are just some of the many reasons that Lyme is by far the fastest growing infectious disease in the US. So watch your hubby's symptoms, finish your Doxy prescription, and see a Lyme specialist (called a Lyme Literate MD) if he does not improve.