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Powassan Virus: Be Aware

M

MopMan

Par Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2010
Messages
155
This is a PSA for tick safety--I frequently find myself removing several ticks from my body after a day on the course, and there is increasing concern over a deadly infection known as Powassan Virus in the Northern and Northeastern US. I was unaware of this new tick-borne threat until very recently, so I feel compelled to spread awareness.

Quick facts about Powassan:
  • can cause severe encephalitis and meningitis
  • spreads from tick to host in as little as 15 minutes
  • has been reported from Minnesota to Maine, and as far south as Virginia
  • kills infected humans in 10-15% of reported encephalitis cases
  • leaves 50% of human encephalitis survivors with permanent neurological symptoms
  • no medications exist to treat or prevent Powassan
  • is still relatively rare, but is expected to become more common because it has now been found in the deer tick population, and deer ticks feed readily on humans
Links:
Conclusions:
  • Educate yourself about the risks.
  • Avoiding the bite is the only preventative measure.
  • Wear light-colored, long pants.
  • Apply your deet-based insect repellant.
  • Practice vigilance--educate and spot for others in your group.
 
Anybody ever heard the old wives tale about garlic and ticks? Apparently if you have a high level of garlic in your diet the ticks will bite you but wont dig in...







...I guess they don't like pizza:confused:
 
A lot of potent essential oils seems to help vs deet or other repellants im finding this year. (garlic eaters are garlic smelling all the time like a vegan guy i knew so makes sense re: brutal)

Terrasheild(sp?) is a brand by doterra oils but you could cook up some homemade stuff pretty easy. Works for mosquitoes as well.
 
It has been years...
tenor.gif
since I have found an engorged tick on me and I eat way to much local pizza joint take out...
 
I've had multiple ticks cut out of me and had to take antibiotics as well.

I now use Coconut Oil, Lemongrass and Peppermint with no tick issues.

I am not an essential oil type of person, this just works for me.
 
Doofenshmirtz said:
Link?
Click to expand...

First, I am not saying don't use DEET. I am saying to be cautious about using too much and treat it like the harsh chemical it is. It absorbs through your skin, and I have a hard time believing DEET in your bloodstream is NOT bad for you.

I can't find the article I was thinking of. There was some kind of large scale DEET overexposure from a factory (I wanna say it was in Europe) in like the 50s when DEET first came out. Someone did a follow up study and found a large increase in a lot of terrible things in those people's children and grandchildren (genetic defects, nervous system disorders, mental illness, etc). I wish I could find it because it was a good read. But again, that was from large overexposure, not just using bug spray. But it still made me wonder how safe DEET based things really are and how much we really understand the effects.

Here's a link to a 2009 study that questions DEETs safety:
http://bmcbiol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1741-7007-7-47

Background

N,N-Diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (deet) remains the gold standard for insect repellents. About 200 million people use it every year and over 8 billion doses have been applied over the past 50 years. Despite the widespread and increased interest in the use of deet in public health programmes, controversies remain concerning both the identification of its target sites at the olfactory system and its mechanism of toxicity in insects, mammals and humans. Here, we investigated the molecular target site for deet and the consequences of its interactions with carbamate insecticides on the cholinergic system.


Results

By using toxicological, biochemical and electrophysiological techniques, we show that deet is not simply a behaviour-modifying chemical but that it also inhibits cholinesterase activity, in both insect and mammalian neuronal preparations. Deet is commonly used in combination with insecticides and we show that deet has the capacity to strengthen the toxicity of carbamates, a class of insecticides known to block acetylcholinesterase.


Conclusion

These findings question the safety of deet, particularly in combination with other chemicals, and they highlight the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to the development of safer insect repellents for use in public health.
Click to expand...
 
As a hillbilly from Arkansas i know a thing or two about the satan bug, having watched thousands crawl up my legs to feed on my soft under areas. You have to use that skin so soft stuff from Avon or the 90% deet bug spray that makes your sperm lose their tails. Either one works great, just don't apply the deet within 6 months of any attempt to conceive a healthy child.
 
dbaledge said:
the 90% deet bug spray that makes your sperm lose their tails.
Click to expand...

oh wow, that's funny.

I hate DEET. It literally makes my skin feel like it's having a chemical burn, even the lower stuff like 20-30%.

I use a product called Dirty Water. It's an all natural repellent made from essential oils, etc. It's called Dirty Water because when you pour it in a clear container...it looks like dirty water.

http://www.carolynsnaturalsoap.com/index.html#!/Bug-Repellent/c/21803096/offset=0&sort=nameAsc
 
I definitely need better tick deterrent, I've pulled so many ticks off of me this year thanks to course installation. They just laugh at the Deep Woods Off, especially the tiny ones. At this point if it keeps them out of my taint region I'm willing to wear a wreath of garlic around my junk. :|
 
Don't forget you can treat your clothes and bag with permethrin. Then use deet or essential oils on open skin

Sent from my XT1049 using Tapatalk
 
If you give your bag a spray down with DEET stuff, make sure you take your discs out before.

Youll be fine with discs in bag with essential oils though.
 
DanJon said:
I've had multiple ticks cut out of me and had to take antibiotics as well.

I now use Coconut Oil, Lemongrass and Peppermint with no tick issues.

I am not an essential oil type of person, this just works for me.
Click to expand...

I've heard of essential oil use for ticks but never tried it. Are you mixing the three together? How are you applying them? Knock I wouldnt I havent had a bite yet this year, but I'd rather there not be a first. I have a 30% DEET that seems to have been effective so far, but I have no idea where I got it, nor who sells it. I haven't seen it anywhere. I also have a small bottle with a dab on applicator of 100% DEET. Supposed to dab it on the ankles of your socks, pants and shirt, not your skin. I've never seen ticks like this before. People say they're bad this year, but I dont think people get quite how bad.
 
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