The Ad Hoc Tick Bourne Disease Action Committee held a meeting on Wednesday, October 7, 2009 at the C.H. Booth Library, Main Street, Newtown, CT.
PRESENT: Mark Alexander, Kirk Blanchard, Pat Boily, Neil K. Chaudhary, David Delia, Dr. Robert Grossman, Kim Harrison, George Miller, Mary Gaudet-Wilson, Maggie Shaw, Dr. Peter Licht
ALSO PRESENT: David Shugarts, Newtown Bee reporter Kendra and about 5 members of the general public.
CALL TO ORDER: Dr. Grossman called the meeting to order at 7:50pm.
ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES: There were several corrections to the minutes of the meeting of 9/30/09. Most of the corrections were spelling errors of names. Dr. Chaudhary, David Delia, Dr. Ostfeld and Eva Shapi were spelled wrong in the minutes. The correct spellings were duly noted and should not be a problem in the future. Dr. Grossman corrected the amount of the budget is $5,000 not $10,000. Kim Harrison corrected the phrase “atypical” was in correct and the correct phrase was that she “was not surprised at the high numbers found in that area”. Mr. Boily moved to accept the minutes of September 30, 2009 with the corrections. Mr. Blanchard seconded the motion. ALL IN FAVOR.
INTRODUCE: Dr. Grossman introduced Dr. Kirby C. Stafford III, Director & Chief Entomologist for the Connecticut Agriculture Experiment Station in New Haven. Dr. Stafford began his talk and slide show presentation. He distributed copies of his Tick Management Handbook. Dr. Stafford asked the group if they were familiar with the life cycle of the tick. He started in 1987 with research on bait boxes, ecology and control of the tick, mice, deer control treating deer pesticide testing. Most of his work is focused on exposure of ticks right in the back yard and their control. The incidents of lyme disease continues to increase. The case studies classify the tests as confirmed and probable. A suspect case has a laboratory report. The biggest problem is that the biggest diagnosis cases are not reported. The
biggest practices don’t do the paper work and forms to fill out. Exact numbers would be hard to get but trends can be talked about. Back in the 1990’s the rates of ticks infected with lyme reflected what was going on in the state. No disease can you really get close to the actual amount. Generally the community based lyme disease intervention programs conducted active surveillance and based on the data and the surveys in the health field only 10% to 16 % of cases are being reported. In 2003-2005 the number of lyme disease cases dropped because laboratory based reporting was no longer required. There was a lyme disease vaccine that was out for a short time and then taken off the market. The highest rates of lyme disease have been found in Litchfield County.
The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station was the first in the country founded in 1875. The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station investigates the growth of plants and studies their pests, insects including mosquitoes and ticks, water quality and food safety and performs analyses for state agencies. The Experiment Station also operates a 75-acre research farm in Hamden called Lockwood Farm. You can visit the website at www.ct.gov/cas.
Lyme disease is still the leading arthropod disease in the US. In 2008 there were approximately 35, 198 cases, about 28,000 confirmed. Confirmed is a cases of EM with a known exposure. For example the person lives in a known tick infected area. Peter Kalm traveled in North America in the 1749 and reported “To these I must add the wood lice (ticks) with which the forests are so pestered that it is impossible to pass through a bush or sit down, though the place be ever so pleasant, without having a whole swarm of them on your clothes” In 1897 the number of deer in CT were approximately 12. Deer were very scarce and the sighting of one rare. Today deer number over 76,000 in CT.
Dr. Stafford went over the tick life cycle and talked about their reservoir hosts such as the white-footed mouse, some birds, eastern chipmunk and shrews. Adult ticks have a higher infection rate. Fall is the peak season for infected ticks and in the cold the ticks don’t die. They just become inactive. Dr. Stafford went over the difference between the deer tick and the American Dog tick. The American Dog tick is active early April to mid July, while the deer tick is most active early spring and in the fall. Ticks feed almost any where on the body. The best way to remove a tick is from the side with tweezers.
Dr. Stafford went on to talk about tick management in one’s own back yard .One way is by creating a barrier between the yard and the woods with woodchips. Also cutting brush and spraying are other ways. Usually one application in the spring is enough and the chemicals are similar to the ones already being used to eliminate other pests. Tests are being done on more natural poisons for the market. There were some studies done with Nookatone, which kills ticks immediately but has no residual properties. When it rains it’s gone
Problems associated with the over abundance of deer: ecological degradation, vehicle collisions, agricultural damage, landscape and garden damage. Dr. Grossman pointed out that in Danbury there have been 3 deaths associated with deer and motor vehicles. The three parts of targeting deer control are: exclusion, reduction and treatment. Exclusion would entail using electric fences. Dr. Stafford discussed a 1999 4 Poster Deer Treatment Bait Station study at Bedford Cove. The bait station has a bin where corn comes out into a feeding dish and as the deer puts it’s head in the device it is treated with a chemical that kills ticks. This is labor intensive and may require a permit in some states. Reduction would be hunting resulting in killing the deer to reduce their numbers. What happens when you reduce deer numbers,
there is an initial illusion of an increase abundance of ticks as they are no longer being picked up by the deer. There is an initial increase in infection rate as a larger proportion of ticks my feed on reservoir hosts. Then tick numbers will decline. If nothing is done to the deer population who knows where it will go as far as the lyme disease is concerned. In conclusion, the overabundance of deer clearly effects the Lyme disease issue. If you reduce deer you will reduce ticks.
QUESTIONS BY COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Were asked intermittently throughout Dr. Stafford’s presentation.
DISCUSSION ON FUTURE MEETINGS AND SPEAKERS: Speakers that will be contacted this week are, Dr. Telford, Dr. Ostfeld , Dr.Kilpatrick and Dr. Sim.
PUBLIC COMMENTS: Lynn Korfinkle from Redding discussed what her town did to reduce deer.
FINAL COMMENTS: There were none.
EXECUTIVE SESSION: None.
ADJOURNMENT: Mr. Boily moved to adjourn the meeting. Seconded by Ms. Shaw. ALL IN FAVOR. The meeting was adjourned at 9:50 P.M.
Respectfully Submitted By,
Shirley A. Paproski
Shirley A. Paproski, Clerk
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