Town of Newtown, CT Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main Street, Newtown, CT 06470
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The Ad Hoc Tick Borne Disease Action Committee held a meeting on Wednesday, March 10, 2010 at the C.H. Booth Library, Main Street, Newtown, CT
Present: Robert Grossman, Michelle McLeod, Mark Alexander, Kirk Blanchard, Pat Boily, David Delia, Kim Harrison, Maggie Shaw, Dr. Peter Licht, Neil Chaudhary, and Mary Gaudet-Wilson. Not Present: George Miller Also Present: David Shugarts, Kendra Bobowick from the Newtown Bee and two members of the general public.
Call to Order: Dr. Grossman called the meeting to order at 8:00 p.m.
Approval of Minutes: Mary Wilson moved to accept the minutes of March 3, 2010. Seconded by David DeLeo. The vote was unanimous.
Speaker: Jennifer Reid, Ridgefield BLAST Program introduced my Ms. Shaw.
First Selectman Llodra joined the Committee for the presentation.
With the aid of a Power Point presentation Ms. Reid detailed what BLAST is doing to educate and eradicate tick-borne disease. BLAST is an acronym: B = Bathe and shower when going indoors. L = Look yourself over daily for ticks or rashes. A = Apply repellent. S = Spray the perimeter of your yard. T = Treat pets.
She has been working on tick-borne diseases since 2003 when she was asked to bring a clear and beneficial message to the community. They have developed various teaching tools that were displayed for the Committee members. They address schools, farmers’ markets, fairs, etc. in an attempt to educate the community of the dangers of tick-borne disease. This information is readily available on the Ridgefield website.
The presentation included maps and charts showing where clustering occurs, age groups most affected and the most active months. She went on to explain the BLAST message and symptoms of tick diseases. Ticks prefer dampness and can be found in pachysandra, leaf litter and long grass by lakes and play yards. She described how to remove ticks safely. Early signs of the disease is an expanding rash, not necessarily a bullseye, fatigue, stiff neck and muscle pain. CVS Pharmacies have shown the display in many of their stores, although the installation of the products on their shelves needs improvement. In 2009 they were ready to put the display material in bags. They are ready to train volunteers for Newtown BLAST who will indicate where they plan to exhibit their material.
In answer to Ms. Harrison’s question, vets are beginning to keep track of infected pets. Dr. McLeod suggested posting information in veterinarian offices. Dr. Alexander suggested educating sports coaches, golfers and horseback riders. Ms. Reid’s involvement began ten years ago when family members got sick. She would be happy to train people. Some of the precautions people can take is cutting back brush close to play areas, allow sunlight to reach the yard. At this point it did not seem the time for signs warning people.
A question and answer session followed. It is BLAST’s goal to get the message throughout Connecticut, but it will take time.
Dr. Grossman thanked Ms. Reid for an excellent presentation. There was a five minute break in order for the Committee members to look at the display.
Discussion: final Report (Subcommittee Progress; Editing of Sections of Report)
Dr. Grossman asked for a preliminary status report.
Ms. Wilson advised of six sites suggested by the Conservation Commission to study. Anyone interested in visiting the sites should meet Rob Sibley at the Meeting Center, Friday March 19, 2010 at 9:00 a.m. There will be a meeting at WestConn Thursday, March 18 at 7:00 p.m. Mr. Stafford will be giving a presentation. Some members will be attending.
Ms. Harrison and Dr. Alexander are still working on their contribution. Once all the material is together it will be e-mailed to the members for comment. They should be ready to discuss the matter giving reasons for agreement/disagreement for the meeting in two weeks.
Dr. Grossman said that they have to work on a format and each section should be discussed and ready to go.
Dr. Licht said they have to work on scientific data. Safety and effectiveness of vaccines. Ms. Shaw said that vaccines are in development and should be perfected in a few years. They are difficult to produce and a good vaccine could be as much as ten years out.
Ms. Shaw asked to show a DVD by the CDC narrated by Meryl Streep teaching about lyme disease. She suggested that schools teach this instead of AIDS in the early grades. It was shown on the Brookfield school channel. The Newtown schools did not consider the subject suitable. The Committee agreed to allot time for the DVD at the meeting scheduled for March 24, 2010.
Final Comments: None
Executive Session: None
Adjournment: Ms. Shaw motioned to adjourn at 9:55 p.m. Dr. McLeod seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.
Respectfully submitted by:
Margaret R. Wilkin, Clerk
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