Deer Aren’t The Key

To Attacking Lyme Disease

To the Editor:

There is no question that Lyme disease is a significant public health issue and that the blacklegged tick transmits Lyme disease, as indicated in last week’s Bee letter “Controlling Lyme Disease by Controlling Deer.” However, there is little or no evidence that reducing deer populations is an effective solution to ending Lyme disease.

Deer are a factor in the transmission of Lyme disease, but the main carriers are, and always have been, mice. You could dramatically reduce the deer population — as some researchers have — and still have an undiminished amount of Lyme infection. The fact that the infectious ticks are called “deer ticks” merely reflects that scientists discovered them on deer sooner than on mice because they looked for them sooner on deer; it does not reflect their primary host.

Interestingly, when you compare the recent Lyme disease rates published in the Connecticut Department of Health’s September 2006 report to deer density figures, you find that counties with low deer density have higher incidence rates of Lyme disease. For example, in Windham County where deer density is 15–30 per square mile the Lyme disease rate is 173.2 per 100,000. In Fairfield County where deer density is 30–45 per square mile, the Lyme disease rate is 48.3 per 100,000. Despite what advocates of increased hunting may claim, this data clearly shows there is little or no correlation between controlling deer population and controlling Lyme disease.

The American Lyme Disease Foundation recommends that the best ways for preventing Lyme disease include: staying away from areas with high grass and a lot of leaf litter, wearing enclosed shoes and light-colored clothing to spot ticks easily; using insect repellant containing DEET; avoiding sitting directly on the ground or on stone walls; keeping long hair tied back, especially when gardening; doing a final, full-body tick-check at the end of the day.

While these simple steps may not be as extreme as the deer killing that has taken place in communities like Ridgefield, such steps are far more effective in preventing people from getting Lyme disease.

Monica Roberto

69 Aunt Park Lane, Newtown                                  December 6, 2006