[ctkid]

We are from Ct. but have lived in FL since 1988. We are planning to move back to Ct., but have concerns about lyme disease. I have read alot about it and it doesn't sound good. I have 3 relatives in East Haddam who got Lyme disease,also a friend, and now my cousin just got it. I have concerns not just for my health, but I also have a 10 year old daughter, a cat, and a dog. We are outdoors people and are worried about the risks. I would appreciate any info or feedback anybody can give me on this subject. Is it as bad as it sounds? Also, what area of Ct. would you recommend to be the safest?

[cool_mommy]

Unfortunately Lyme Disease is everywhere in CT as well as other nasty tick borne illnesses. You just have to use common sense and be very diligent. Our animals pick up ticks in our back yard in the grass. You don't necessarily have to be out in the woods. I have had several friends who have suffered from Lyme Disease as well as other tick illnesses and I am happy to say they have recovered. My dog had Lyme Disease, we caught it early on when she started whining whenever we touched her. We brought her right to the vet, started her on antibiotics and within a couple of weeks she was right as rain.

We check our kids and animals daily and use frontline year round. Our kids know to stay away from our animals (3 dogs and 2 cats) for 24 hours after application and then they are fine. We still find ticks on the animals but they are usually dead or have just crawled onto them and are right on the surface. The cats pick them off and leave them in our house, so we have found them inside as well.

The teeny deer ticks are the ones you have to worry about. An infected deer tick has to have been feeding on its host for 24 hours in order to transmit the disease, so you just need to be diligent about tick checks. I taught my kids how to check themselves for ticks when they were only five.

Mosquitos are another problem in this area of the country. They can carry and transmit West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis. Many towns test for it early on in the year and some towns will even spray to prevent an outbreak. Again, you have to use common sense, don't go out when mosquitos are most active, early morning and at dusk. Wear bug spray. Spray on bug spray with Deet (I spray Deet bug spray on my kids clothes, not on their skin) and love your bats by installing bat houses. They eat mosquitos by the thousands.

I always say you can't live in a bubble but you have to be safer than we were when we were kids.

[skytrekker]

Lyme disease is prevalent along the whole of the northeast corridor from Northern Va to Maine. There is no area along the megalopolis where it predominates.

[Rich Lee]

Originally Posted by skytrekker

Lyme disease is prevalent along the whole of the northeast corridor from Northern Va to Maine. There is no area along the megalopolis where it predominates.

So true. Growing up in New York state during the '70s and '80s, my siblings and I would do our daily "tick check" on our dog. Now that I have five dogs, the task is that much more time intensive. But getting the ticks off in 24 hours prevents a lot of potential problems.

[Viralmd]

It's actually pretty much all over North America AND Europe....I've seen it everywhere.

[JayCT]

My cousin is very sick with Lyme Disease and she lives in Florida. It is everywhere, just more previlent in CT since it was first discovered here. I would not worry about any more than you should be worrying about it in Florida. If you are outdoors people, you should be checking yourself, kids and animals regularly. Jay