From:
sukiec@optonline.net
Date: 2006-05-10 00:36:29 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] in case it turns out that ferrets can get Lyme Disease (since some related species can)
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Mythbusting is a worthy goal for any forum or news publication, and with th=
e release of the new, long term publicly accessible study the FALSE MYTH th=
at the rate of Lyme Disease is connected to the number of deer will hopeful=
ly be eliminated once and for all since this 13 year, very comprehensive st=
udy found the same thing as earlier investigations: the critical factors a=
re the numbers of ground nesting rodents which serve as reservoirs for Lyme=
Disease, and those rodents=92 food supplies. The deer simply are food sou=
rces for the same later stages of ticks as we people are. (In fact, in som=
e studies of flea borne diseases killing off the alternative hosts for dise=
ase bearing fleas at the stages where they could feed on humans actually in=
creased the number of those parasites on humans since they preferred animal=
food source was not available, so perhaps the same may happen with ticks.)=
=
This most recently completed study is titled:
=93Climate, Deer, Rodents, and Acorns as Determinants of Variation in Lyme-=
Disease Risk=94and the authors who are from Bard College and the Institute =
of Ecosystem Studies are Doctors Richard S. Ostfeld, Charles D. Canham, Kel=
ly Oggenfuss, Raymond J. Winchcombe, Felicia Keesing.
The study abstract states:
"Risk of human exposure to vector-borne zoonotic pathogens is a function of=
the abundance and infection prevalence of vectors. We assessed the determi=
nants of Lyme-disease risk (density and Borrelia burgdorferi-infection prev=
alence of nymphal Ixodes scapularis ticks) over 13 y on several field plots=
within eastern deciduous forests in the epicenter of US Lyme disease (Dutc=
hess County, New York). We used a model comparison approach to simultaneous=
ly test the importance of ambient growing-season temperature, precipitation=
, two indices of deer (Odocoileus virginianus) abundance, and densities of =
white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus), eastern chipmunks (Tamias striatus=
), and acorns (Quercus spp.), in both simple and multiple regression models=
, in predicting entomological risk."
It goes on to say, "Indices of deer abundance had no predictive power, and=
precipitation in the current year and temperature in the prior year had on=
ly weak effects on entomological risk."
Notice that the factors which did matter were the numbers of the studied gr=
ound-nesting rodents and the foods they ate and collected for their winter =
sustenance: "The strongest predictors of a current year's risk were the pr=
ior year's abundance of mice and chipmunks and abundance of acorns 2 y prev=
iously."
Lest an impact on those rodents or the acorns by deer be suggested, they co=
ntinue, "In no case did inclusion of deer or climate variables improve the =
predictive power of models based on rodents, acorns, or both. We conclude t=
hat interannual variation in entomological risk of exposure to Lyme disease=
is correlated positively with prior abundance of key hosts for the immatur=
e stages of the tick vector and with critical food resources for those host=
s."
The pdf of the study which is in Volume 4, Issue 6, June 2006 of the Public=
Library of Science, PLOS Biology, open access, peer-reviewed science journ=
al may be read at =
http://biology.plosjournals.org/archive/1545-7885/4/6/pdf/10.1371_journal.p=
bio.0040145-p-S.pdf
and the full text article can be found at
http://biology.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=3Dget-document&doi=3D10%2=
E1371%2Fjournal%2Epbio%2E0040145
=
Should the internet URLs change after the early announcement today, the vol=
ume and issue number, as well as the article title can be used by a reader =
or librarian to find the current locations.
Sent from the website 6/9/2006, 8:36 EST
-- Sukie (not a vet, and not speaking for any of the below in my private po=
sts)
Recommended health resources to help ferrets and the people who love them:
Ferret Health List
http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/ferrethealth
FHL Archives
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
AFIP Ferret Pathology
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
Miamiferrets
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/
International Ferret Congress Critical References
http://www.ferretcongress.org
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