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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (April 18, 2018)
Wednesday, April 18, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon 29 TICKj: Attentiveness is key to avoiding tick-borne illness Continued from page 1 way toward minimizing your chances of suffering from this threat. Gary Guttormsen, trails coordinator for the Sisters Trails Alliance (STA), has been spending quite a bit of time in the woods lately and has some interesting — and ominous — news to report: “I personally have found over a dozen ticks climbing on either my skin or clothing so far this season. One of the critters had actually latched onto my hip and started feasting!” Ticks are most often acquired by direct contact with trailside vegetation. They do not jump or fly to a host; they simply grab on as the host brushes by. Any area that has dense growths of bit- ter brush, manzanita, or cean- othus (snow brush) can be a hotbed of tick activity. With so many areas near Sisters having experienced for- est fires in recent years, the explosive growth of brush in those areas has created ideal habitat for tick transfers. The Sisters Trails Alliance and Forest Service crews work hard to try to keep brush pruned back away from the trails, but they can’t get it all. As a result, the little blood- sucking hitchhikers are out there, and the warmer weather has them actively seeking new hosts to continue their lifecycle. If you are traveling the forests away from main- tained trails, your chance of acquiring unwanted passen- gers increases even more. While the danger of catch- ing the disease is very real, the probability of doing so is not great. The majority of ticks are not infected with the disease. Data on this matter are uncertain, with estimates ranging from as little as a 1 percent infection rate to a much higher rate. Most estimates, potential contact with ticks. Sleeve and pant leg closures can also help prevent ticks from finding a way under- neath clothing. Insect repel- lent with at least 20 percent DEET has proven effective as a deterrent, and some hikers tuck pant legs into their socks to prevent access. After each visit to the woods, it is imperative that outdoor adventurers carefully inspect themselves for ticks. I f d o n e promptly, any infection is the appearance of a bulls-eye ring of inflam- mation surrounding the tick attachment site. Lyme dis- ease can cause serious and long-lasting heath issues, so, if there is any doubt, it is always best to see a health- care professional, because antibiotics can stop the dis- ease in its tracks. Generally, ticks can be found throughout Sisters Country. However, Guttormsen’s observations are similar to others in not- ing that ticks seem to be especially abundant on Black Butte-area trails, espe- cially the lower areas where brush is the most dense. So, precautions are especially worth taking in that area. If a tick does become attached, Guttormsen specifi- cally recommends a handy little tool. “For our little Western black-legged ticks, I use the small tick-twister. I got my twisters at Bi-Mart pharmacy. I keep them in my truck’s first aid kit, so that they are almost always available!” Other, older methods of tick removal have fallen under close scrutiny and are no longer believed to be as effective. — Serving all of Central Oregon — Sandy Goodsell Principal Broker An adult Western black-legged tick. Jonathan Hicks Broker ABR, CDPE, CIAS, GRI, SRES 541-480-0183 PHOTO COURTESY DON LOARIE 865-335-6104 LICENSED BROKERS IN THE STATE OF OREGON goodsellandhickssellcentralor.com Let my years of experience turn your real estate dreams into a reality however, fall into an infection-rate range of five percent or less. It is usually necessary for the tick to be firmly attached and feeding for a day or two in order to infect a host with the bacteria that causes the disease. Therefore, the best coun- termeasures involve pre- vention. Long sleeves and long trousers help minimize ticks on board will not have time to attach. In fact, ticks rarely attach immedi- ately. Rather they tend to wander around a potential host in search of just the right place to attack. It can often be helpful to employ an extra set of eyes, too. Like any insect bite, a tick attack can cause itch- ing or irritation; but one tell- tale sign of a probable Lyme Phil Arends Principal Broker of Sisters Branch Licensed in the State of Oregon 541.420.9997 | phil.arends@cascadesir.com HOWELLS REALTY GROUP exclusive onsite Realtor for The Ranch REVERSE GOLF HOME 13 $779,000 MORTGAGES HOME LOANS ...AND MORE! mls 201709572 Beautiful custom, great location on the course! 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