Lyme and mice

In the deer tick's first stage of life it favors the deer mouse. These mice are usually found outside and it is the deer tick that then goes on in its next stage of life to seek out other hosts such as dogs, humans and deer.

While the Borellia bacteria have been found in every bodily fluid, you would have to be doing some pretty funny things with the mouse feces and urine to contract Lyme. There are plenty of other diseases that you can contract from mice, so having them nearby is not desirable in either case!

You can contract leptospirosis directly from mouse feces/urine. It's a bacterial infection caused by a spirochete, like Lyme, with a list of symptoms that has quite a bit of correlation with Lyme. Because its a spirochete it's one of just a few other conditions that will trigger a Herx reaction from abx treatment. I think think it's a more acute infection that comes on faster, hits harder and can be directly fatal if untreated.

It gets passed from mouse to mouse in utero and by the ticks that are biting them. You would think the solution would be to kill all the mice. Not only is that fairly impossible, but the tick would just move over to a new host.

There was one community in an island off of CT that decided to rid themselves of deer to control Lyme disease. This seemed like a good idea, but the tick moved onto its next favorite host -- humans!!

Of course I will be here when you feel awful!! I will do my best to encourage and cheer you - along with many others here on the forum that have come to know and like you as well!!!
Oh, no worries about me moving into town! I can't take the extra activity that happens when surrounded by people! I need to have acreage for lots of nature around me, or I stay wound up and can't sleep or eat!! I know that sounds bizzarre, but it's true!

From what I have been able to determine there are two sides to the question of taking too many probiotics, with the majority saying no, it's not possible. I would say that unless that's about all you are eating, they would be pretty safe.

Please, please be sure to eat a solid meal or a heavy snack before taking your dose of Doxy - even though almost all bottles and Pharmacists say to take it on an empty stomach. The larger doses that we take for extended periods will tear up a stomach unless you're protecting it.

I have to agree with Miss C about culling deer - without the deer, ticks will just move on to the next easiest target. It's not like we can stop them just by removing 1 food source! Not to mention the fact that birds are the way these ticks are carried from one side of the US to the other and from one country to another. That's something that "we" can't stop - birds migrating.

It is strictly just my opinion on this subject -and I have not spent a lot of time researching this subject- but the way I see things, if the deer are removed from the picture (and what a shame that would be!) then our pets are the next biggest target. Which would mean that then people stand to become even more exposed to the ticks and the infections they carry as there will be more ticks in each home. After a while - since these ticks are stealthy little buggars - it won't even matter if you don't have pets in your home, you will be exposed since the ticks can hitch a ride on a pant leg, or whatever and then drop off in someone else's home!

If there was some way to get and keep the Western Fence Sitting lizard in the colder areas of this country that would be a great thing! But lizards generally don't do well in freezing temps - so that's out.

Without neutralizing the bacteria in the mice - the original source - I really don't see that there is a good way of just stopping the infections before they start, That's why I am behind the efforts to push for better testing and treatments. I really do believe that will be the only way to "get a hold of" this pandemic situation.

Once again - this is only my opinion and I haven't dedicated much time at all researching and learning about all of the details.

Peace All!!

Thank you Miss C!! Yes! I do expect that the best is yet to come in my life!! I have a wonderful, supportive hubby and we really do have a lot of things that we enjoy doing together. Although he is now disabled, he has been able to build himself back up and I am doing well enough that we are now able to begin to build our "retirement life" - and oh how wonderful that is going to be!!

I am glad that you were able to get out and enjoy something not related to Lyme or any other TBI! It can really be rejuvenating at times! Please do be careful this week to not over-do, but enjoy every activity that you can!!!