Deer

 

Today I tried to 'do deer, a female deer' ... I hope you are fawned of it 

Now let's talk about Lyme Disease, a menace in the Northern hemisphere, especially when hiking in summer and spring wherever deer are ... better safe than sorry!

Cause: Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. It is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected black-legged blood-sucking ticks (also called deer ticks) that attach themselves to the human skin for at least 30-48 hours, so if you remove the tick within 24 hours, you can greatly reduce the chance of contracting this painful immunocompromising disease.

Symptoms:

• Early signs (within 3–30 days after a tick bite) include:

  • A characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans develops in 80% of the cases (looks like a "bull's-eye" in many cases)

  • Fever, chills, headache, fatigue, muscle and joint aches, and swollen lymph nodes

• Later symptoms (if untreated) can include:

  • Severe joint pain and swelling (especially knees)

  • Heart issues (like irregular heartbeat)

  • Nervous system problems (like facial palsy, meningitis, numbness)

Diagnosis is hit-and-miss until you start to show symptoms (in which case it may be too late), physical findings (like the rash), history of tick exposure, and sometimes blood tests to detect antibodies.

Treatment: Most cases are treated with antibiotics, usually doxycycline, amoxicillin, or cefuroxime. Early treatment is important to prevent serious complications.

Prevention is better than cure:

• Avoid tick-infested areas, especially in spring and summer.

• Use insect repellents, wear long sleeves and pants, and do regular tick checks after being outdoors.