HikeArizona.COM

There are over 25 species of ticks in Arizona that may carry Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Tularemia, Babesia and tick fever, as well as Lyme disease. If the tick that bites you is infected, it can inject Lyme bacteria into your bloodstream within hours of attachment. The bacteria can also invade your brain and nervous system in less than 24 hours.

Lyme disease is totally curable if caught early. In the later stages it is at least manageable.

Lyme disease is under-diagnosed, under-treated, and under-reported. Many people do not remember being bitten by the poppy-seed-sized tick. Doctors often prefer more familiar diagnoses like chronic fatigue, MS, rheumatoid arthritis, or mental illness - Lyme disease mimics many diseases. Too strict interpretation of insensitive tests leaves many people in a diagnostic limbo, getting sicker and without proper treatment. Most cases are not reported, leading to artificially low numbers, less recognition of the true costs of the disease and less funding for research.

Some Lyme Basics
Bartonella is the most common tick-borne disease in the US and Europe, followed by Lyme disease.
Lyme is the fastest growing infectious disease in the US.
It is named after the town Old Lyme, Connecticut and was discovered in 1982..
Is caused by a bacterial infection that is a spirochete.
The bacterium is called Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato.
It is most often acquired from the bite of an infected Ixodes tick.
Early symptoms: Erythema Migrans (EM) rash or a bulls eye rash, fever, malaise, fatigue, head ache, muscle and joint aches in large joints, sore throat and sinus infection.
May be misdiagnosed as many other diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis, CFS, FMS, Rheumatoid Arthritis and other neurological diseases.
Difficult to diagnose
Testing is not reliable
Clinical diagnosis
Two standards of care: ILADS (International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society and IDSA (Infectious Diseases Society of America. As of Summer of 2008, the ISDA (which states that chronic Lyme doesn't exist) guidelines have been discredited.
Prevention includes avoiding known tick infested areas, mosquito-tick repellant, completely covering with clothing and checking entire body including hair when home.
Learn proper tick removal, especially do not squeeze the tick during removal.

Jim Lyding wrote:I remember never ever ever thinking about ticks in AZ.

Al_HikesAZ wrote:

Jim Lyding wrote:I remember never ever ever thinking about ticks in AZ.

I was surprised when I found engorged ticks on our dogs when we lived at 56th St & Cactus. Our dogs had not been out of Phoenix in months. We lived near some horse properties and the ticks had come back on the horses from Northern AZ. Ticks are here.

ticks do well in the colder climates and can over winter in places with colder temps than we experience.

ticks do well in the colder climates and can over winter in places with colder temps than we experience.

paulhubbard wrote:I used to foster Basset Hounds (for a rescue organization) and almost every newly rescued dog was infested with ticks. These were all local dogs, mostly found wandering in the deserts just outside of town.