My 11-year-old son is about to go to sleep-away camp for the first time. It’s only a few hours away, but I’ve heard some frightening things about the prevalence of Lyme disease outside of the city. What are the dangers of Lyme disease, and how can I reduce his risk of catching it?
If your child is planning to spend the summer months in the “great outdoors,” chances are that deer ticks will be near. The closer he is to deer ticks, the greater his risk for contracting Lyme disease.
Deer ticks (also known as blacklegged ticks) are small arachnids that tend to live in wooded areas and along trails in forests. Ticks often carry Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. Most ticks do not carry the bacteria, but if you are bitten by an infected tick, your chances of contracting Lyme disease are high.
Lyme symptoms occur in three stages. Stage one is called “early-localized Lyme disease.” At this stage, the infection is not yet widespread throughout the body. Symptoms include fatigue, chills, fever, headache, muscle and joint aches, swollen lymph nodes, and “bull’s eye” rashes.
Stage two is “early disseminated Lyme disease,” at which time the bacteria have begun to spread, and symptoms may include severe headaches, neck stiffness, shooting pains, heart palpitations, dizziness, and loss of muscle tone on one or both sides of the face.
Stage three is “late disseminated Lyme disease,” and can lead to arthritis, numbness, and problems with short-term memory.
Antibiotics are the usual treatment for Lyme, but a later stage of the disease may require additional therapy. Early treatment decreases the risk of any permanent effects, and is crucial to a quick recovery.
Almost all sleep-away camps have infirmaries that are staffed by medical professionals. However, you should confirm that other adult supervisors, such as counselors and camp administration, have a working knowledge of Lyme symptoms as well, so they can bring any concerns to medical staff.
There are also steps your son can take to ensure that he has a summer of fun while keeping the ticks at bay. He should wear long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, as well as insect repellant containing at least 20 percent DEET any time he plans to go into a grassy or wooded area.
He needs to bathe or shower as soon as possible after coming indoors. Above all, he needs to check his entire body for ticks each day, and a friend or counselor should check the top of his head for ticks as well. If a tick turns up, there’s no need to panic. However, your son should notify an adult, and get to the camp infirmary right away. He should not try to remove the tick himself.
There’s no reason the threat of Lyme disease should prevent your son from having a wonderful experience at camp. With simple precautions, Lyme disease won’t be bugging him any time soon.
