My child loves to play in the woods on our farm in New York state. What types of diseases from insects, if any, should I be concerned about?
It is that time of year when children of all ages want to venture out and play in their surroundings. Enjoying the fresh air, getting some Vitamin D via sunlight, and plenty of activity helps build strong bodies, and it is beneficial in so many ways; however, there are some dangers that need to be considered prior to going out. Although there are a lot of bugs outside, most are beneficial to humans and plants. Unfortunately, mosquitos, ticks, black flies, and venomous insects are common. Some carry diseases, and some carry pain and itching.
Prevalence and types of diseases have a seasonality to them. So a parent should be aware of “what’s around.” So what should they be concerned about? Of course most people have heard of Lyme disease by now, and New York does have a significant number of cases of this malady. Although most states in the continental US have seen cases of Lyme Disease, 94% of all reported cases are in only 12 states: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin. For this disease, late spring and late summer have the greatest prevalence.
Ticks carry other diseases that may be found at your farm in New York. Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, and Ehrlichiosis will often co-infect with Lyme. Other than Ehrlichiosis, which causes a rash in children 60% of the time, these diseases do not cause rashes, but they can cause fevers as well as muscle aches and pains.
For an area to have Lyme disease, there are few conditions that must be met. First there need to be deer, mice (typically the white footed mouse), and one of the several black-footed ticks. The life cycle is dependent on having the ticks feeding off of these different animals. A rash is most common in children withLyme, and it occurs 3-30 days after the tick bite. Red and expanding, the rash grows at a fairly consistent 1 centimeter (just a little less than 1/2 inch) a day. The will be fatigue, chills, fever, headache, muscle and joint pain swelling, as well as some swollen lymph nodes. Blood tests confirm the diagnosis, and treatment consists of antibiotics for a period of time depending on the symptoms.
RockyMountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) and Tularemia can also be transmitted by ticks, but these are usually transmitted by the Common Dog Tick. These rashes are significantly different – with RMSF discrete spots that multiply and do not expand in size, and Tularemia appearing as an non-healing sore.
Mosquitos can transmit a variety of other diseases that are seen toward the end of summer. These include Eastern Equine Encephalitis and West Nile Disease. Again, parents need to be monitoring for any incidents of these diseases reported. Severe headache, fatigue, fever, neck pain, and change in mental status, such as confusion, are signs of these diseases.
All of these diseases sound so scary. Why would we let our children out there in the wilds? Simple, there is not much that outshines the fun a child has playing outside. We can prevent most of these diseases if we handle these bugs with some simple planning. Use insect repellents that work. DEET, at least 20% concentration, sprayed on the skin is most effective. Permetrim (a naturally derived repellent) can be used, but it must be sprayed on clothes for maximum effect. Check yourself and your child after being outside for ticks, and remove them as soon as you can.
To prevent mosquitos, use the insect repellents too, and try not to play during twilight when the mosquitos are at their most active. Of course, emptying areas of standing water eliminates mosquito breeding sites.
Enjoying playing outside, developing new abilities, confidence, making friends and long term memories are what beautiful days are for. Appreciating the joy, beauty, and excitement of the great outdoors hopefully makes our children happier, healthier, and want to preserve it for the future. So go out and run around in the grass, get some Vitamin D from the sun, de-stress, let your brain relax, and remember what it is to be young and free.
For more information about Lyme and other insect transmitted diseases go here.
Good Luck,
DRTOM
Tweet This Post