Donate to WERU Today!Host/Producer: Rhonda Feiman
Co-Producer: Petra Hall
Technical assistance: Joel Mann & Amy Browne
TICKS! Those blood-sucking parasites! (and why you shouldn’t annoy the ticks!): Our annual update with tick specialist Dr. Beatrice Szantyr
-What are the ticks we can find in (or find us) in Maine?
-What diseases can dog ticks, black-legged (deer) ticks, & wood ticks carry?
-How can we protect ourselves and pets from tick bites?
-What can we do to try to keep ticks away from our gardens and backyards? What is their preferred habitat? Do ticks die off in the winter?
-What are some symptoms of Lyme and other tick illnesses? Is there always a rash with Lyme?
-Can Covid symptoms be confused with tick illness?
-When is an antibiotic appropriate for treatment and what is an effective therapeutic dose?
-Are blood tests effective for diagnosing tick illness?
-What do I do if a tick bites me? How do I remove a tick? Why is it best not to “annoy” a tick which is embedded in you? What should you do with the tick once you’ve removed it? Where can I send the tick to be tested, what do they test for, and how might this information be of use?
Guest: Dr. Beatrice Szantyr is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, a member of the American College of Physicians, and an Internist and Pediatrician, living in Lincoln, Maine. She is an active member of Maine CDC’s Vector Borne Disease Work Group, as well as the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society. Dr. Szantyr is also the medical advisor for MaineLyme, a non-profit dedicated to decreasing Lyme and related tick diseases in Maine.
Websites of Interest:
Dr. Szantyr at Belfast Library May 3rd 2021 (video glitch; misses beginning)
University of Maine Orono Cooperative Extension Tick Lab
I have a tick bite! What do I do now?
Midcoast Lyme Disease Support and Education
Tick Management Handbook Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station
Repellant Info:
EPA: Find the Repellent that is Right for You
The best bug sprays of 2021 (CNN report)
Dog Not Gone – a Maine company selling permethrin treated apparel for people and pets
InsectShield permethrin treated clothing
Previous Healthy Options show on ticks, & links to other tick shows & resources:
Healthy Options 6/3/20: Ticks and tick borne illnesses
About the host:
Rhonda Feiman is a nationally-certified, licensed acupuncturist practicing in Belfast, Maine since 1993. She primarily practices Toyohari Japanese acupuncture, using gentle and powerful non-insertion needle techniques, and also utilizes Chinese acupuncture and herbology. In addition, Rhonda is a practitioner of Qi Gong and an instructor of Tai Chi Chuan in the Yang Family tradition.
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