Kandra Breyne of Aurora with her German shepherds Loki (left) and Odin. Odin contracted Lyme disease last year from ticks that have plagued her neighborhood.
AURORA -- Kandra Breyne and her neighbors are getting a little ticked off about ticks.Several residents of Andover Drive -- all dog owners -- say they are experiencing an infestation of the pesky parasites, which seem to have made a home of a ComEd right-of-way that backs up to their yards.The number of ticks here was unusually high last summer -- and seems to be again this spring -- prompting consternation in this quiet neighborhood on Aurora's far East Side.
Breyne, who has contacted her alderman and is waging a campaign to get rid of the ticks, is particularly worried because her German shepherd contracted Lyme disease last year.
DuPage County and Illinois public health officials say there is no cause for panic.
They advise the residents are most probably seeing the American dog or lone-star ticks. Not that these ticks are harmless -- they can transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever, although cases away from the illness' namesake region are rare -- but they are not the same as the deer ticks (smaller in size) that can transmit Lyme disease. There are only isolated numbers of these deer ticks in the Chicago metropolitan region and collar counties, health officials say.
Nonetheless, the dog did test positive for antibodies to both Lyme disease and another tick-related illness ehrlichiosis, said Naperville Animal Hospital veterinarian Dr. Anthony Walley. While tests can be inaccurate, the dog also presented with clinical symptoms -- high fever and lethargy. Dog's don't get the characteristic 'bull's-eye' rash that humans with Lyme disease develop.
Breyne's dog, who had to be hooked up to an IV for a couple of days, is faring better now. And both her dogs are now vaccinated for the illness -- a precaution she encourages all dog owners to take -- along with applying tick preventative ointment to dogs as an additional measure.
Lyme disease rare
Still, Breyne remains concerned about catching the disease herself.
Again, county and state officials say not to worry too much.
There were two human cases of Lyme disease in DuPage County last year that were not traced back to out-of-state travel, as with other cases in the past.
Neither state nor DuPage County health agencies have received a large number of calls about animals dying of the illness, which would be a likely precursor to humans contracting the disease.
'It would be pretty big news if we had an established population of deer tick like in northwestern Illinois,' says Linn Haramis, an entomologist with the Illinois Department of Public Health. 'Although, it might be possible for a deer tick to fall off a migratory bird.'
Lorrie Nimsgern, an administrator at VCA Aurora Animal Hospital, adds that many dogs don't get Lyme disease because they have been properly protected by their owners with flea and tick preventive ointments. But they would be more prone to being infected by the few deer ticks around than would humans.
'If it is a hunting or a camping dog,' she said, 'then it is possible.'
Grass too high?
Lyme disease aside, the neighbors along Andover Drive say they are alarmed by the sheer number of ticks they are seeing.
'It is so bad that we have the dog on the prescription stuff for the vet, although she rarely goes out,' said another neighbor Melisa Raketic. 'They are crawling on our baby; they are crawling on me.'
Indeed, the folks at both Naperville Animal Hospital and VCA Aurora Animal Hospital have noticed it's a bad year for ticks.
Several of these neighbors are asking for the grass to be cut along the utility right of way -- and there is disagreement between some who believe in spraying pesticides and those who don't.
'(The problem) is huge and it is all because of the tall grass,' said resident Dave Burgeson. 'Also, people are dumping crap out there because they can.'
Aurora Alderman Leroy Keith contacted ComEd, which has referred the matter to its 'vegetation management' department.
Complicating the matter is that some of the residents say the grass was planted there five years ago and left to grow on purpose by ComEd as part of a prairie restoration project.
'I don't like the mowed suburban lawns,' said an undecided Suki Baldwin, also of Andover Drive, 'but the ticks are a great problem.'
Meanwhile, a ComEd spokeswoman was not able to find anybody who knew if the grass had been left to grow on purpose.
Anyone wanting a tick identified should call Rick Daugherty, environmental program manager for the DuPage County Health Department, at (630) 682-7979, Ext. 6111.
Tips for tick control
Wear light-colored protective clothing -- long-sleeved shirts, long trousers, boots or sturdy shoes and head coverings. Tuck trouser cuffs into socks.
Apply insect repellent containing DEET primarily to clothes. Apply sparingly to exposed skin.
Walk in the center of trails so weeds don't brush against you.
Check yourself and your children and family members for ticks. If your pets spend time outdoors, regularly check them for ticks, too.
Remove any tick promptly. Do not burn the tick with a match or cover it with petroleum jelly or nail polish. Do not use bare hands to remove the tick because tick secretions might carry disease. The best way to remove a tick is to grasp it firmly with tweezers as close to the skin as possible and gently, but firmly, pull it straight out. Do not twist or jerk the tick. If tweezers are not available, grasp the tick with a piece of tissue or cloth or whatever can be used as a barrier between your fingers and the tick.
Ticks can be safely disposed of by placing them in a container of soapy water or alcohol, sticking them to tape or flushing them down the toilet. If you want to have the tick identified, put it in a small vial of alcohol.
Make sure the property around your home is unattractive to ticks. Keep your grass mowed and keep weeds cut.
Source: Illinois Department of Public Health
