June 14, 2025 • 7 mins
Despite all the rain we've had this spring (so many Saturdays washed out!), it's still a great time to get outside and explore in the woods, in meadows, up trees - you name it. Trouble is, in all those places, you're at risk of picking up a hitch-hiker: a tick! They can share some pretty concerning illnesses, but there are ways to protect yourself. Dr. Joao Tavares, Infectious Disease Specialist at Cape Cod Healthcare in Hyannis, joins the show this week for some "tick talk".
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
From WBZ News Radio in Boston. This is New England Weekend.
Each and every week we come together right here we
talk about all the topics important to you and the
place where you live. It's good to be back with
you this weekend. I'm Nicole Davis. Even though it's been
raining pretty much every weekend for the past few months,
thirteen weeks actually in a row as of this weekend,
(00:27):
I believe we are still finding ways to get outside
and enjoy the warmer weather. You might want to spend
a bit of that time relaxing in a field or
hiking through the woods. But waiting for us in the
grass and on the trees and on bushes and on
rocks are tiny but possibly dangerous little bugs. We're talking
about ticks. There are ways to protect yourself, and doctor
(00:48):
Juwa Tavares is here to talk about it. He's an
infectious disease specialist over at Cape Cod Healthcare. So doctor,
thank you for your time, and I know you've done
a lot of work online disease. We hear a lot
about this when it comes to ticks, so tell us
a bit more about it.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Talking about lime disease and talking about these symptoms of
lime disease. We have to talk about the stage of
lime disease. Lime disease has a three main stage. There
is stage one that is early localized, stage two that's
early disseminate, and stage three, which is a late disease
early localized. Present most weather with a rash that we
(01:26):
say very timer migrants, or we call it bold eyes
or rash or target lesion. But sometimes it may not
be the Typically she can just be a regular rash
and parents and children's may confuse it with the cellulitis,
with a spider bite or even exima or even a
(01:46):
ring world. So we have to pay attention all the
symptoms that may present just general symptoms, what you're sweating, mayangia,
joint pain. In stage two, it can present different you.
Instead of having just one every time a migrant, you
can have multiple for the presentation, maybe like miningities and
(02:10):
but you can have miningizes by budavara, so that's why
you can confuse them some inflammation in your heart. In
stage three, most the typical symptom is just our friday
that can be confused with a regular authorities or it
can even be confused in children with growing pain.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
So how are families supposed to know then that they
need to be concerned about lyme disease. If this can
look like many different other diseases, well.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
I guess they would not be able to diagnose by themselves.
The more important risk is the exposure. If your children
was playing in the wooded area and days or weeks
later start not feeling himself or herself, you go to
the doctor and you said, this is a symptom and
it was exposed. You know, we know it is some lime,
(02:58):
and that in that case it actually be elert.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
I remember when I was a kid, my mother would
always check me for ticks when I came in from
playing in the woods. So obviously I think that's a
good idea. But what sort of advice do you have
for parents who want to make sure their kids stay
safe and are not exposed to mime disease.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
Is very difficult not to be exposed to lime disease
on the cape. And as you said, you know, checking
the bod for ticks is an excellent to measure actual
is more efficient than the vaccine. That's why the vaccine
was not able to impose in the market. All the
things you can do is try to use appropriate clothing,
and you can use repellent. You can use repellents on
(03:39):
the clothing, or you can use repellent on your body.
On your clothing, you can use permetrin. And on your
body you can use either it or you can use
pig carriding.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Okay, do you feel that tick problems are more prevalent
this time of year than say, in the late summer
or fall, or do we have to worry all season.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Long while starting from June through October we have tour
all the time, and actually nowadays every once in a
while we can even see cases of lime disease or
other disease transmitted by ticks outside this window.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
Climate change, I'm sure has something to do with that,
because we have warmer winters and warmer seasons now and
the ticks don't die as quickly as they used to.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
I agree with you. It seems that the climate change
is having some impact because, as you said, is spreading
for a longer period nowadays as they toally our only
June through October. But also there is some of the
states that was not having lime disease and now has
been reporting lime disease.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
What other diseases do we have to worry about with ticks.
We talk a lot about lime disease, but what are
the other factors we have to worry about.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Actual disease or the disease that can be transmitted by
the same tick. This is the one parasite called babciosis. Fortunately,
it does not cause problem unless if your immune system
is weak and with this parasite one you know red flag.
Let's say for them, you have a person who had
a motor vehicle accident and his spleen was removed, This
(05:16):
person is going to be a risk of having severe
infectionion for this parasite. But most of the time people
may be in fact and they don't even realize. Besides
the parasite, we do have a viral that called poasom.
This can be catastrophic, but also mostly in people with
(05:36):
weak immune system. There is another There is another bacteria
called annaplasmosis that can cause a severe disease. But fortunately
it can be treated by the same abiotic that you
use to treat lime disease, which is called toxic cycling.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
So if a child comes down with lime disease, they
can often recover and go on to lead a healthy life.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Right most time they go without any sequela.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
What do you want families to know about tich season
and line disease that we may not have talked about.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
Well, I guess we talk about most of the things.
As you said, the more important thing is to avoid exposure.
But you want to play in the ground that's the
wooded ground, you will be at risk and checking the
body is that important for ticks. Using you know repellent
also is very important because using them including and on
(06:30):
your skin, and depend on the time, you can use
different concentration, mainly if you have young babies, you don't
want to put a higher concentration. Let's say you're going
to spend only one or two hours, you can check
for the concentration lower concentration five or seven percent. If
you're going to stay longer period eight or twelve hours.
In that case you can look concentration like twelve percent.
(06:52):
Either did or p caed in they are about the same.
You may prefer piccared in because it's less oiled, it
doesn't smell, it doesn't destroy the plastics. So God does things.
The only thing you have to pay attention is for
the concentration, because once you use the approached concentration did
and Picard in the same you know potency.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
Okay, well, doctor Tavares, this is great information. Thank you
so much for the time.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
It was a pleasure of being with you.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
All right, have a safe and healthy weekend. Please join
me again next week for another edition of the show.
I'm Nicole Davis from WBZ News Radio on iHeartRadio.
From WBZ News Radio in Boston. This is New England Weekend.
Each and every week we come together right here we
talk about all the topics important to you and the
place where you live. It's good to be back with
you this weekend. I'm Nicole Davis. Even though it's been
raining pretty much every weekend for the past few months,
thirteen weeks actually in a row as of this weekend,
(00:27):
I believe we are still finding ways to get outside
and enjoy the warmer weather. You might want to spend
a bit of that time relaxing in a field or
hiking through the woods. But waiting for us in the
grass and on the trees and on bushes and on
rocks are tiny but possibly dangerous little bugs. We're talking
about ticks. There are ways to protect yourself, and doctor
(00:48):
Juwa Tavares is here to talk about it. He's an
infectious disease specialist over at Cape Cod Healthcare. So doctor,
thank you for your time, and I know you've done
a lot of work online disease. We hear a lot
about this when it comes to ticks, so tell us
a bit more about it.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Talking about lime disease and talking about these symptoms of
lime disease. We have to talk about the stage of
lime disease. Lime disease has a three main stage. There
is stage one that is early localized, stage two that's
early disseminate, and stage three, which is a late disease
early localized. Present most weather with a rash that we
(01:26):
say very timer migrants, or we call it bold eyes
or rash or target lesion. But sometimes it may not
be the Typically she can just be a regular rash
and parents and children's may confuse it with the cellulitis,
with a spider bite or even exima or even a
(01:46):
ring world. So we have to pay attention all the
symptoms that may present just general symptoms, what you're sweating, mayangia,
joint pain. In stage two, it can present different you.
Instead of having just one every time a migrant, you
can have multiple for the presentation, maybe like miningities and
(02:10):
but you can have miningizes by budavara, so that's why
you can confuse them some inflammation in your heart. In
stage three, most the typical symptom is just our friday
that can be confused with a regular authorities or it
can even be confused in children with growing pain.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
So how are families supposed to know then that they
need to be concerned about lyme disease. If this can
look like many different other diseases, well.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
I guess they would not be able to diagnose by themselves.
The more important risk is the exposure. If your children
was playing in the wooded area and days or weeks
later start not feeling himself or herself, you go to
the doctor and you said, this is a symptom and
it was exposed. You know, we know it is some lime,
(02:58):
and that in that case it actually be elert.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
I remember when I was a kid, my mother would
always check me for ticks when I came in from
playing in the woods. So obviously I think that's a
good idea. But what sort of advice do you have
for parents who want to make sure their kids stay
safe and are not exposed to mime disease.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
Is very difficult not to be exposed to lime disease
on the cape. And as you said, you know, checking
the bod for ticks is an excellent to measure actual
is more efficient than the vaccine. That's why the vaccine
was not able to impose in the market. All the
things you can do is try to use appropriate clothing,
and you can use repellent. You can use repellents on
(03:39):
the clothing, or you can use repellent on your body.
On your clothing, you can use permetrin. And on your
body you can use either it or you can use
pig carriding.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Okay, do you feel that tick problems are more prevalent
this time of year than say, in the late summer
or fall, or do we have to worry all season.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Long while starting from June through October we have tour
all the time, and actually nowadays every once in a
while we can even see cases of lime disease or
other disease transmitted by ticks outside this window.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
Climate change, I'm sure has something to do with that,
because we have warmer winters and warmer seasons now and
the ticks don't die as quickly as they used to.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
I agree with you. It seems that the climate change
is having some impact because, as you said, is spreading
for a longer period nowadays as they toally our only
June through October. But also there is some of the
states that was not having lime disease and now has
been reporting lime disease.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
What other diseases do we have to worry about with ticks.
We talk a lot about lime disease, but what are
the other factors we have to worry about.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Actual disease or the disease that can be transmitted by
the same tick. This is the one parasite called babciosis. Fortunately,
it does not cause problem unless if your immune system
is weak and with this parasite one you know red flag.
Let's say for them, you have a person who had
a motor vehicle accident and his spleen was removed, This
(05:16):
person is going to be a risk of having severe
infectionion for this parasite. But most of the time people
may be in fact and they don't even realize. Besides
the parasite, we do have a viral that called poasom.
This can be catastrophic, but also mostly in people with
(05:36):
weak immune system. There is another There is another bacteria
called annaplasmosis that can cause a severe disease. But fortunately
it can be treated by the same abiotic that you
use to treat lime disease, which is called toxic cycling.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
So if a child comes down with lime disease, they
can often recover and go on to lead a healthy life.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Right most time they go without any sequela.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
What do you want families to know about tich season
and line disease that we may not have talked about.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
Well, I guess we talk about most of the things.
As you said, the more important thing is to avoid exposure.
But you want to play in the ground that's the
wooded ground, you will be at risk and checking the
body is that important for ticks. Using you know repellent
also is very important because using them including and on
(06:30):
your skin, and depend on the time, you can use
different concentration, mainly if you have young babies, you don't
want to put a higher concentration. Let's say you're going
to spend only one or two hours, you can check
for the concentration lower concentration five or seven percent. If
you're going to stay longer period eight or twelve hours.
In that case you can look concentration like twelve percent.
(06:52):
Either did or p caed in they are about the same.
You may prefer piccared in because it's less oiled, it
doesn't smell, it doesn't destroy the plastics. So God does things.
The only thing you have to pay attention is for
the concentration, because once you use the approached concentration did
and Picard in the same you know potency.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
Okay, well, doctor Tavares, this is great information. Thank you
so much for the time.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
It was a pleasure of being with you.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
All right, have a safe and healthy weekend. Please join
me again next week for another edition of the show.
I'm Nicole Davis from WBZ News Radio on iHeartRadio.
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