EHRLICHIOSIS - ON THE RISE IN MISSOURI

Kansas City Star, The (MO)
2007-08-11
Section: NEWS
Edition: 2
Page: B1

Illnesses from ticks are on the rise in Missouri
JONATHAN KEALING, The Kansas City Star

If you can stand the heat and are planning an outdoor adventure in Missouri, make sure you pack plenty of bug spray with DEET.
Tick-borne diseases are more prevalent this year than in years past, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
Cases of four such diseases have jumped considerably compared with the five-year median: Ehrlichiosis, up to 117 cases from 40; Rocky Mountain spotted fever cases, to 186 cases from 64; tularemia, to 18 cases from 12; and Lyme disease, to 35 cases from 22. The health department says the rise in infections is due in large part to increased recognition and reporting by physicians, as well as changes in lifestyle, including more homes built in old forests and more time spent outdoors.
"South of the Missouri River is seeing more activity than north of the Missouri River, with a few notable exceptions, including Boone County and Clay County," said Karen Yates, the state's vector-borne disease program coordinator. "I think that relates a lot to the accessibility of health care."
Barbara Dawson, communicable disease nurse for the Clay County Public Health Center, said some of the increase might be just better reporting. "And there are a lot of woods up here," she said, "so there are a lot of places ticks can be."
Dawson said Clay County has 15 cases, six of ehrlichiosis and nine of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, but not all are confirmed.
She also emphasized that the reports are based on where the diagnosing hospital or doctor's office is located, not where the victim lives.
Kansas has recorded 13 total cases of all four diseases, said Joe Blubaugh, director of communications for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. At this time last year, Kansas had six cases.
Missouri "has much more wooded areas, and we're a lot more open," he said. "They have a lot more people, too."
According to Yates, children are especially vulnerable to severe cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
On the other hand, ehrlichiosis tends to be more severe for those over age 40. She said that anyone with a compromised immune system or who is undergoing therapy with immunosuppressants has a greater risk of infection from these diseases.
Terri Wolfe, an aide to Kansas City Councilwoman Deb Hermann, has witnessed the terrible effects of tick-borne diseases personally. Her mother, Roberta Linch, 73, of Preston, Mo., contracted ehrlichiosis recently and had to be hospitalized. When she finished a course of antibiotics, she contracted what doctors think is West Nile virus, spread by mosquitoes.
"It's absolutely terrifying," Wolfe said. "Their health goes down so quickly."
Wolfe said she's taken precautions, like stocking up on tick and mosquito spray, but there is only so much that can be done.
Linch is recovering at Wolfe's sister's home in Liberty.
When will the tick population subside?
If this hot weather is good for something, it's keeping the tick population down.
"With the really, really hot weather, the ticks tend to retreat into a moister area," Yates said.
But when it cools down, they'll be back again. There must be sustained temperatures of 40-45 degrees for a long time before the tick population will die for the season.
Tick bite prevention tips
** Avoid wooded and bushy areas with high grass.
** Wear long pants, long sleeves and long socks. Tuck pant legs into socks or boots and tuck shirts into pants.
** Use insect repellents containing 20 to 50 percent DEET.
** Coat clothes with products containing permethrin. But keep these products off skin and review garment labels as well.
** Do a tick check of clothing before going indoors. Then, inspect your body carefully, paying close attention to armpits, scalp and groin.
** Wash your clothes in hot water and dry them for at least one hour using high heat.
Tick removal
** Using fine-tipped tweezers, grasp the tick very close to your skin.
** In one motion, pull the tick's body away from your skin. Don't worry if the tick's mouth parts remain in your skin. It can no longer infect you.
** Clean your skin with soap and warm water.
** If you accidentally crush the tick, clean your skin with soap and warm water, or with alcohol.
** Do not use petroleum jelly, a hot match, nail polish or other products to remove ticks.
Source: Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services
Tick-borne disease symptoms and treatment:
Disease Symptoms Treatment
Rocky Mountainspotted feverSudden fever, severe headache, tiredness, deep muscle pain, chills or nausea. Sometimes a rash is also a symptom. Antibiotics. Sometimes hospitalization is needed.
Ehrlichiosis Fever, headache, malaise, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cough, joint pains and confusion. Rash is rare. Tetracycline antibiotics for adults.
Lyme disease Fever, fatigue, headaches, aching joints, nausea and a skin rash callederythema migrans, usually at the site of the bite. Prompt treatment with antibiotics can cure the disease. Untreated, it can cause a host of other more severe symptoms.
Tularemia Skin transmission: Ulcerative skin lesion and swollen glandsIngestion, i.e. by eatingwithout washing hands after coming in contact with a tick or by eating undercooked game meat that has been infected by a tick: Throat infection, abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting.Treatment with antibiotics, including streptomycin and gentamicin.
Source: Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services
@ For information on tick-borne disease symptoms and treatment, go to KansasCity.com.

Addtional Info on Missouri Ticks

Men, Ladies and Friends of the Muddy River Battalion:

I found some additional information concerning ticks in Missouri.

The Aricle is entitled TINY,TENACIOUS TERRIBLE TICKS
The information was found in the MISSOURI CONSERVATIONIST ONLINE

URL http://mdc.mo.gov/conmag/2005/05/50.htm

MEDICAL ADVISORY TO ALL TROOPS -LYMNE DISEASE

Officers, ladies and friends of the Muddy River Battalion:

INPORTANT MEDICAL INFORMATION PLEASE READ

Before the SOC event I spoke with my personnal physician in Gladstone, Mo. We spoke at length about the ticks that I knew were going to be a huge problem at the event. TICKS proved to be a much greater problem than I had envisioned!

Since I had identified three varieties of ticks on site by just walking back and around the Federal camp areas before the event began he advised me, as he did after the Cole Camp event, to come see him after the event if I had any "Ticks" embedded. I had a couple, but others had between 5-70 + ticks. The larger number being in the OUTPOST Camps.

I was told that, as a percaution, if I had any embed themselves he would perscribe a medication that the CDC recommended in their Lyme Disease Brochure. You can find this brochure at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/lyme/index.htm .

This brochure is also in the LINKS section of MUDDYRIVERBATTALIONMEDICAL site and has been there since before the COLE CAMP EVENT of two years ago.

The medication he perscribed was DOXYCYCLINE 100 mg twice daily. This medication is on Wal-Mart's and Hy-Vee's $4.00 perscription list. This medication is used to combat Lymne disease if contracted and is used as a deterrant to this and other tick borne diseases.

I'm not telling you what to do, but if you had ticks embedded in you, and it only takes one to infect you with Lymne and other tick borne diseases, I would call your physician or go to a clinic and tell the doctor how many ticks you had embedded and let him or her help you make a decision.

Remember an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Please read the Lymne Disease brochure located in LINKS section 0f the MUDDYRIVERMEDICAL yahoo group.


YOS,

Capt Powers Battalion Surgeon

Medical Common Sense

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I added an interesting link on the MUDDYRIVERBATTALIONMEDICAL yahoo site to a period Google book entitled Medical Common Sense as applied to Common Cures and Diseases. It has an 1864 printing date.

I would recommend it to any reenactor to have on file on the computer. It was an easy pdf download. The info contained in it will add to any first person impression of the period.

The book even details cures and remedies for marital problems in its 454 pages. You'll find it a fun read as you brouse thru the index and pages so don't let the length of the book scare you.

Look in the LINKS section on the MUDDYRIVERBATTALION MEDICAL site but here is the url for it

http://books.google.com/books?printsec=frontcover&dq=inauthor:edward+inauthor:foote+intitle:%22common+sense%22&lr=&id=AfsebE9PRd4C&as_brr=0&output=html

Stand of Colors Battle of Westport

Well,

It was hot and cold. The entire area was infested with three varieties of ticks.
In my opinion the battles were to far from the audience. No pryo's were done for the cannon fire.

The fee for the spectators was to much. Then if you wanted a seat in the bleachers it was an additional $3.00.

Parking and transportation for the reenactors was jumbled at best. First we were told to park at the Bannister Mall. Then a site near the camp was found unfortunately no shuttle was made available for the reeanactors. Even though it was 1/4 to 1/2 mile from the camp it was a dangerous walk through the woods up and down hills and through MASH ground on the slopes and then through a creek.

Water for the troops was a problem. The sinks were clean an a reasonable walk from the Hospital.

Lot's of visitors to camp and to observe the medical demo's. We were busy all day on Sunday and Saturday.

Friday's school day was hectic we saw upwards of 900 school children in the 7th and 8th grades.

Ticks were a constant problem, Most men had at least several embedded over the course of the event. Fortunately Maj Steinbach sprayed the hospital area with a concentrated garlic solution which really worked.

Nurses Rita, Toby and Samantha were great. Skip watched the Hospital area during the battles. Major Steinbach is a jewel and has a wealth of knowledge and he is willing tg share it.

I would not vote to go back to this location unless it was mowed and sprayed to kill the ticks.

A major rethink of the battle scenarios with the spectators in mind must be done before another event is staged at this location.

Field Orders fro Division Medical

Headquarters First Federal Division
Division Medical Office
in the field near Kansas City, KS
May 3, 1864 (2008)

Field Orders
No. 2008-02

The following personnel are appointed acting First Federal Medical staff from the Muddy River Battalion Medical Staff for the campaign of the 2nd brigade of the 1st Division of the 16th Army Corps Division in the field near Kansas City, Kansas:

Assistant Medical Officer – brevetted to Major (from Captain), Jim Bair
Chief Hospital Steward – Lance Garnish
Directress of Nurses – Toby Cowan


First Federal Medical Staff member, First Lieutenant Jon Cooper, is brevetted to Medical Adjutant with the rank of Captain for the campaign of the 2nd brigade of the 1st Division of the 16th Army Corps Division in the field near Kansas City, Kansas.



T. Steinbach
Surgeon U. S. Army and Division Medical Officer
First Federal Division