07/11/07 Insect dangers

We all know about mosquitoes and the West Nile virus threat to people and animals. You need to also beware of ticks. Stacey Byers, veterinarian and agricultural animal medical resident at Washington State University says tick paralysis occurs when certain species of ticks inject potent toxins into the host animal. Llamas and alpacas seem particularly susceptible to the toxin, which can be fatal. BYERS - "They should be watching for an animal that appears to be stumbling around. More reluctant to get up. Maybe not eating as much and the issue is during hot days with an animal that is less inclined to get up and move to shade you can get some issues with heat stroke. But just mainly a change in behavior." Byers says every spring and summer they're seeing infected animals. BYERS "Its variable with the tick but last year we had three cases in the hospital and several of the owners continues to treat at home. And usually we get one to two as a minimum per year. Some of them may just be a phone contact." Byers says treatment is effective and reversal of paralysis can be rapid. As a preventative measure llama and alpaca owners can work with their veterinarian on a proper dose of a drug commonly used in these cases. There's plenty of information about ticks and mosquito diseases on the Internet or you can get it through the Idaho Health and Welfare Department. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott