Lyme Disease Awareness for Maine Lakefront Property Owners

Out and About for the York/Sanford Lakes Region of Maine Apr. 30-May 6
April 30, 2015
Out and About for the Bangor Lakes Region of Maine May 7-13
Out and About for the Bangor Lakes Region of Maine May 7-13
May 7, 2015

Lyme Disease Awareness for Maine Lakefront Property Owners

Lyme Disease Awareness for Maine Lakefront Property Owners

Summertime and Life is Great on Mousam Lake in Maine

 


by Leigh Macmillen Hayes

 

As Maine lakefront property owners, you want to be outside enjoying your lot overlooking your favorite lake or pond. From experience, we know that deer ticks, which transmit Lyme disease, are present throughout the state. But . . . that doesn’t keep us from getting outside. 

Just as you should inspect your boat to make sure that you are not transporting invasive species, after a day spent outdoors, you should perform a tick check.

 

 

 

 

 


The following information is from Sara Robinson, MPH, Epidemiologist, Maine CDC—Infectious Disease Epidemiology Program:
Spring is here, so it’s time to think about the outdoors and proper protection against ticks. Maine had more than 1,395 cases of Lyme disease reported in 2014, a number that continues to increase yearly. May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month and we want to remind you of the importance of daily tick checks and encourage the “inspect and protect” prevention strategy.
Ticks are primarily active in warmer months. Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that is caused by a bite from an infected deer tick (Ixodes scapularis). In Maine, Lyme disease is most common in adults 65 and over and children between the ages of 5 and 15, but anyone can get the disease. Individuals who work or play outside are more likely to be exposed to ticks. The most common and visible symptom of Lyme disease is a red bulls-eye rash that grows and appears within 3-30 days of exposure. Other symptoms may include fevers, and joint or muscle pain.
Lyme disease is treatable and most individuals recover completely with proper drugs. However, the easiest way to avoid the disease is prevention, using “No Ticks 4 ME”:
1. Use caution in tick infested areas.
2. Wear protective clothing.
3. Use an EPA approved repellant.
4. Perform daily tick checks after any outdoor activity.
A tick must be attached for a minimum of 24 hours before the infection can be passed on, further stressing the need for prompt and proper tick removal. If you are bitten by a tick, or work in a known tick habitat, watch for symptoms for up to 30 days, and call a healthcare provider if symptoms develop.
Deer ticks can transmit not only Lyme disease, but also two other tick-borne infections that are endemic in Maine: anaplasmosis and babesiosis.  Cases of both these diseases are on the rise in Maine, as cases of anaplasmosis doubled for the second year in a row and cases of babesiosis increased from 2013. The majority of tick-borne illnesses occur during the summer months when ticks and humans are active outdoors.
Remember that the deer tick (Ixodes scapularis) is the only tick that can transmit Lyme disease, but there are other species of ticks throughout the state. Tick identification references are available to order online at Maine CDC’s Web site. The University of Maine Cooperative Extension Tick ID Lab offers free identification services and educational resources.
Additional Information
• Maine CDC has Lyme disease information available on our website at http://www.maine.gov/lyme.
• Lyme disease data is available through the Maine Tracking Network at http://www.maine.gov/idepi, under Epidemiology Information on the left hand side of the page.
• University of Maine Cooperative Extension Tick ID Lab submission instructions can be found at http://extension.umaine.edu/ipm/tickid/.
• To continue getting Lyme updates throughout May, please like the Maine CDC Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/MaineCDC.
~sara.robinson@maine.gov
Don’t let ticks stop you from enjoying your waterfront property, but we do encourage you to follow the steps Sara outlined above.
To learn more about lakefront properties for sale on Mousam Lake in Shapleigh and Acton, click on the green box above.
To learn more about the Shapleigh and Acton in the York/Sanford Lakes Region of Maine, check out the blog links below.
Mousam Lake in Southern Maine – Perfect for Boaters, Anglers and Vacationers
Goose Pond, Shapleigh, Maine: Experience Halcyon Days on Serene Water

 

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