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NURSE'S NEWS
Need extra clothing for all students!
Students of all grades end up getting wet or just simply have some sort of accident. Please send your students in with an extra set of clothing. Middle schoolers are often coming to me for extra clothing as well.
If anyone has a few sweatshirts or jackets to donate to Newton for extra layers, we would be grateful! Thanks so much!
TICKS!
We have already had reports of, and seen some ticks. But - let's not stay away from being outdoors! No. Let's just get tick smarter...
Doctor Reporting Tips:
An embedded tick means attached to the skin; an engorged tick means the tick has been attached long enough to fill with the blood of their host and enough to appear "fatter." The doctor will often use these terms when asking you questions over the phone. They will also ask you (if possible to provide) for the type of tick it was/is; and/or a picture of the tick; and/or the tick itself. If you can provide the actual tick, this is certainly best- especially if it has become engorged.
Tick Lifespan and Feeding
The lifespan of the ticks that exist in our area is about two years. During this time, ticks go through three stages: larva, nymph and adult. At each of these phases of life, the tick needs to eat at least once to survive. It is also when and how the tick acquires the diseases that they can transfer to hosts- at a feeding. Given these facts, this also means that ticks are more likely to have a tick-borne illness, the older they are, ie, the more feedings the more times it could acquire the disease to spread to the next host. Despite this- it is the larva and nymph stages that are least likely to be detected due to their smaller sizes- so this compounds that phase's likelihood of spreading a disease.
Ixodes scapularis (deer tick) typically lays eggs in the spring. These hatch into larva and during the summer, larvae feed and then molt into nymphs the following spring. During the summer, nymphs feed and then molt into adults over the winter. Adults females will seek a winter or spring blood meal before laying eggs in spring, completing the life cycle.
I have included here a chart--see page 4/14 in the pdf format--from recent research on tick-borne illness transmission (to a host) versus times of attachment to that host. Although Lyme disease seems to be the most prevalent of the known illnesses, other bacteria get transmitted and should also be watched for also. Some of these lesser-known illnesses, although less common, are nonetheless quicker to transmit- at least according to research thus far. Given this information, it is wise to get medical attention given this information, depending on your situation.
A friend of mine had been bit and knew for sure that her tick had not been attached for long (well under 16 hours) and she ended up unable to move from the waist down for several hours!! They tested her for several known tick-born illnesses only to never know which one it was! They never discovered what it was! The antibiotics she was given did eventually kick the illness and it never did return; and- they were very certain that this was a tick-born illness. I say this because there are still a lot of unknowns about ticks!
Here is more general information should you want more
Stay well!- Be safe!- Enjoy the Outdoors!
Hygiene!
Please be sure to check your students for hygiene upkeep. There are so many students who certainly need to be bathing more. Understandably there is a learning curve--and many go through this--but the body odor is really getting strong downstairs at times. Let's help our kids learn to go through puberty smoothly and without an embarrassing social moment. If you don't like antiperspirant, baking soda works great too. However, if a body odor already exists, it means there is already bacteria growing, and it is too late to cover it with another substance. Washing first is important- then using deodorant or antiperspirant immediately after.
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