Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/68008
pathology perspectives BY RUTH WERNER TICK-BORNE DISEASES When we think of contagious diseases, we often focus on infections that are communicable directly from one host to another: common cold and flu viruses are spread through respiratory secretions; hepatitis A is spread through oral- fecal contamination; and ringworm (a fungal infection) is spread through direct contact with an infected person or animal, or with a contaminated surface. Some contagious diseases are not directly communicable, however. They must be transmitted by way of an animal vector. Common disease carriers include mosquitoes (West Nile virus, malaria), lice (typhus), or fleas (bubonic plague). Ticks might not come to the top of our mental list of these pests, but it turns out they are the most common disease vector found in the United States. It is important for massage therapists to recognize the signs and symptoms of tick-borne diseases and to understand how to address clients with them. Image 1 is probably a familiar picture, especially to people who live on the East Coast or in the Midwest. Ticks are common parasites, taking blood meals from all vertebrates except fish. Ticks are arthropods, in the same class (Arachnida) with spiders, scorpions, and mites. In addition to being parasites, ticks can also be carriers of a variety of pathogens, including bacteria, protozoa, viruses, and nematodes. Further, any combination of these disease-causing microorganisms can be transmitted with a single tick bite. Deer ticks (also called black- legged ticks), American dog ticks (image 2), and lone star ticks (image 3) are responsible for most tick-borne infections in the United States. In this article we will discuss some of these infections, with special emphasis on Lyme disease. But first we need to take a brief look at the life cycle of the deer tick: this is similar to the cycle of most hard tick species. (Soft ticks are a little different and are not common in the United States, so won't be discussed here.) visit massageandbodywork.com to access your digital magazine 107