Controlling Lyme Disease

By Controlling Deer

To the Editor:

In the years 2000–2004 the Newtown Lyme Disease Task Force collected close to 400 signatures on an informal survey regarding the concern and incidence of Lyme disease.

The initial part of survey read: “As concerned citizens of the State of Connecticut, we are petitioning that measures be instituted immediately to stop the growing epidemic of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases in our community and state. We are witnessing an increase in frequency the number of Lyme disease cases among our families, friends and neighbors.”

éTwo-thirds of the respondents reported having personally had Lyme disease or having someone in their family have it

éA 1999 survey by Danbury Hospital regarding health concerns of area residents ranked Lyme disease number one among callers for five consecutive years!

éLast year the number of Lyme disease cases in the State of Connecticut dramatically increased by 34 percent (Department of Public Health).

éNewtown 2004, 43 percent of ticks tested positive for the bacteria that causes Lyme. This bacteria is closely related to syphilis. If we said the ticks carry syphilis, I would imagine things would change quickly.

éOur school district indicated that in one year there were 58 cases of Lyme disease reported to our school nurses and 118 ticks were removed from our school children.

éChildren are walking the halls with IVs

éToo many children are missing days, weeks, and months of school and in some cases homebound due to physical or cognitive impairment due to Lyme

éThe Department of Public Health dropped mandatory lab reporting of Lyme disease in 2003; labs reported 80 percent of cases, physicians approximately 20 percent.

éThe Infectious Diseases Society of America’s new Lyme disease guidelines are now under investigation by Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal.

éOut of control deer population, means an increasing number of people will contract Lyme, most in their own back yard!

The science has been proven, decreasing the deer population will decrease the number of ticks!

Kirby C. Stafford, III PhD, (CT Ag Station) in a presentation states, “In order for an adult female tick (who can lay 200+ eggs) to lay eggs , they must have a blood meal from a large mammal. Here in our area, the host is commonly the white tailed deer. In the past 15 years there has been a dramatic rise in deer population in Fairfield County and this has been accompanied by a rapid rise in the cases of Lyme disease.”

Most of the other efforts listed to reduce tick populations such as deer four-poster device, bait boxes will, as Stafford states, “have no effect on the exponential growth of deer population, here, which is the most important factor underlying the current Lyme epidemic.”

We as a town must organize and investigate models, strategies, and science used by other towns who are realizing the impact of the overpopulation of deer on its residents and environment. (Ridgefield)

The health and safety of our children, families and community is at stake!

Sincerely,

Maggie Shaw RN

Newtown Lyme Disease Task Force

Eden Hill Road, Newtown                                    November 27, 2006