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Old 06-13-05, 06:32 PM
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Camel
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Location: Waltham, MA
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Originally Posted by tom cotter
Permathrin? Is this it's comercial name? Where do I buy this?
I've been Canoeing/kayaking in the pine barrens for ten years. Mostly on rivers and streams in the middle of tick country. No problem until two years ago when one of the little suckers got me on the upper inner thigh. Last year I pulled another one off, of all places, my penis. They do seem to like that general area of the body. For the first one I waited about a month, the time necessary for a more accurate detection, to get a lyme test. Last year, no test, just waited for symtoms that never showed. For anyone who suffers a similar indignity of being bitten on their privates, the tell tale bullseye rash can appear on the upper thighs or lower abdomen. Also, a rash doesn't appear in every case, so know and watch for other symptoms. Still trying to figure out how I got bitten while in a canoe?
REI carries Sawyer brand spray, this seems a more environmentally friendly refillable version than the canned aerosol type I've used. Other outfitters may carry different types.

Good tip above about the telltale bullseye not allways appearing. Folks should also be aware that (from my recollection), the serological test has a false negative* rate. Therefore if lyme disease is suspect, but the test comes back negative-I'd suggest having the test repeated. [*I may very well be mistaken, there may be a newer test with higher sensitivity/specificity currently in use.]
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