GPSAR Digital News for July 1997


In this digital issue of GPSAR news...


LYME DISEASE CASES SOAR
Reported cases of Lyme disease, a potentially fatal illness caused by tick bites, climbed to 16,461 last year in 45 states, the highest count since the government started keeping track in 1982.

A thriving tick population, especially in the Northeast, is partly to blame. But the Center for Disease Control and Prevention said that doctors are becoming more vigilant in diagnosing and reporting cases. There is an increased awareness of Lyme disease according to Dr. Kathy Orloski, a CDC epidemiologist. She states that doctors in areas where Lyme disease is endemic are becoming quite familiar with it.

Lyme disease comes from bacteria carried by the deer tick in the East and the western black-legged tick in the West. Within a few days, the bacteria cause flu-like symptoms and often a rash near the bite. Caught early, Lyme disease can be treated with antibiotics. Untreated, the bacteria spread to the central nervous system, heart and brain, and in rare cases can kill.

Connaught Laboratories in Pennsylvania, plans to seek approval for the first ever human Lyme disease vaccine by the end of this year, citing good results in a study of 10,000 people.

The 1996 cases are up 41 percent from the 11,700 reported the year before. A snowy winter last year, especially in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic, protected tick nests from predators, and the wet spring and summer gave the deer tick ideal conditions in which to thrive.

About 90 percent of last year’s cases were in Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.

Information Tips -
1. Ticks that cause Lyme disease can be found throughout the United States from May to October. The deer tick and the western black-legged tick are red with black legs, and are initially as small as a sesame seed.
2. Symptoms include rash around the bite, headache, chills and fever and muscle aches that develop 18 to 36 hours after the bite.
3. The disease is treatable with antibiotics. Left untreated, it can infect the nervous system and shut down heart and brain.
4. Approval for a vaccine is expected by the year’s end.


Prevention -
1. Be sure to wear long pants tucked into your boots on training and search and rescue missions. Long sleeved shirts are also helpful.
2. If you do get a tick, remove it by grasping it as close to the skin as possible with tweezers and gently pull it until it releases its grip. Clean the bite area with antiseptic.

QUICK TREATMENT FOR STINGS
Bee, wasp, hornet or yellow jacket stings may be relieved by cold packs containing baking soda. Ice cubes or ice bags will also give some relief. Bees often leave their stinger in the center of the sting. The stinging apparatus can be seen as a tiny dark object. It continues to pump venom into the wound after the bee is gone. Therefore, pinch the stinger between two fingernails or grasp it with tweezers and remove the stinger gently. If you try to scrape it out with a credit card, scrape in the direction from the entrance to the end of the stinger so you do not force out more venom.

HELPING YOUR CANINE PARTNER BEAT THE HEAT
When on search and rescue mission and training, your canine partner can suffer from the weather when it becomes oppressively hot, just as you do. During the hottest days of summer (which we have been experiencing lately), it is important to be alert for signs of heat stress in your partner. If he gets too overheated, he could suffer from heat stroke, which is a serious condition that can be life threatening.

What causes heat stroke - Panting is the way your dog gets rid of excess body heat. When the temperature gets too hot and the air is very humid, he simply can’t pant fast enough to prevent is body temperature from rising. Rigorous training or tasks on a hot day could lead to heat stroke, and obese dogs are especially vulnerable. More often than not, however, heat stroke results from neglect. Canines restrained outdoors without adequate water and shade are prime candidates. And, of course, never leave your canine partner in your vehicle on a warm day, even with the windows cracked open. Dogs left in a vehicle on a hot day can die within minutes.

What are the symptoms of heat stroke - On hot days, watch for rapid noisy breathing, bright red mucous membranes and thick stringy saliva. Other signs include vomiting, diarrhea, extreme inactivity and even unconsciousness.

What can be done to help prevent heat stroke - Always be sure to bring plenty of water for your canine partner when on a mission or training to prevent dehydration and utilize shady spots during rest periods. On extremely hot days, tasks will be shorter than on cool days.

What to do when heat stroke strikes - If your canine partner is unconscious and does not have a pulse, begin CPR immediately. If his heart is beating but he is not breathing, administer artificial respiration. If he is conscious and displaying signs of heat stroke, take his temperature with a rectal thermometer. If it is over 105 degrees, move him to a cool shady area and immerse him in cool water (not ice water), such as the spray from a hose. Canines with temperatures that are below 103 but still elevated, should be taken to a cool place and offered small amounts of water. In all cases, get your canine partner to a veterinarian as soon as possible.

According to Carol Caracand, VMD, the best thing that can be done for the canine is to prevent heat stroke from occurring in the first place. By following simple precautions, you can ensure that your partner is comfortable.

Thanks to Tracker News for portions of the above article.

HELPING YOUR EQUINE PARTNER BEAT THE HEAT
In just one hour of hot weather exercise, a horse can lose nearly four gallons of water and its accompanying electrolytes, and in a 35 to 70 mile endurance ride, he can lose as much as 10 gallons, or 10 percent of his total body fluids. Water serves as a coolant, a facilitator of chemical reactions and a maintainer of blood pressure, while the electrolytes - sodium, chloride, potassium, magnesium and calcium - facilitate nerve function and muscle contraction. Horses experiencing electrolyte and fluid deficit often become overheated; they may suffer a drop in blood pressure and in nerve and muscle activity and become fatigued and injury-prone. The more water is lost, the thicker the blood becomes, the harder the heart has to work to pump it, and the less blood is available to flow to the skin and cool the body. Unremedied, the situation is fatal.

Despite the serious consequences of equine heat stress, the problem long remained understudied, leaving horsemen unsure of proper hot-weather care. One study of endurance horses conducted about five years ago by the University of Guelph’s Gayle Ecker, Msc, a PhD candidate in equine exercise physiology at the University’s Equine Research Centre, and Mike Lindinger, PhD, of the School of Human Biology, found that horses were commonly competing in a state of dangerous fluid and electrolyte deficit. Since then, intensive research performed to devise heat-stress care methods in time for the 1996 Olympics has brought about a revolution in hot-weather care. According to Ecker, the following recommendations from researchers, when applied to the Atlanta Olympic Games, “basically chopped off between 25 to 50 percent of the stress on horses.”

Preload fluids and electrolytes - Once lost, fluids are hard to replace. A recent study of a three-day event, conducted by researchers, found that horses not only lost an average of five gallons of water in the cross-country phase, but also, by the following day’s stadium jumping phase, were still an average of one gallon short, an amount that could cause fatigue and injury. The difficulty in playing catch-up is especially evident in horses who go into fluid deficit while exercising, since the muscles’ demands on a working horse reduce the gut’s ability to absorb water and electrolytes.

The solution , is preloading. One to two hours before the event, offer ample amounts of water (three to four gallons) and a moderate dose of a heat-stress supplement. Preloading in the week before an event, to “store” electrolytes will be excreted in the urine. Avoid supplements that have glucose or other sugars high on their ingredient lists, since these can trigger hypoglycemia, as well as those high in fat, which can block electrolyte absorption. Preloading will not only stave off fluid and electrolyte deficit, it will also likely boost performance. A supplement that was formulated for Buckeye Feeds, have horses a 22 percent increase in the amount of time before onset of fatigue.

Make water work for you - Douse your horse’s head, neck and legs with cold water, scrape it off and redouse as often as possible, both before and during heat-stressing events. The scraping is the key. Water that is not removed quickly will heat up to the horse’s body temperature and form an insulating layer that actually holds heat in. With dousing and scraping, if the water coming off the horse is substantially hotter than the water you are putting on, you should keep going. If you are not seeing much of a temperature change, then you have probably cooled the horse adequately.

Give water and supplements during competition - All horses need frequent access to water while exercising in heat. Those who sweat profusely for more than two hours also need one to two once electrolyte supplement doses every hour or so.

Train your horse to drink during competition - Thirst is triggered by the increase of plasma sodium concentration brought about by water loss. But in heavy exertion, sodium is lost along with water, so the thirst response can go untriggered despite dehydration. Thus, it is wise to train horses to drink during the early phases of exercise, before dehydration sets in. Recent research has found that most fluid is lost in the first half of competition, and that horses who are hot and panting from exertion tend not to drink. The recommendation is to slow the horse in the early stages of every workout and competition to let him recover, and then offering water. With repetition, many horses learn to drink at this stage. The time lost in pausing early is more than recouped by the later onset of fatigue.

Tempt his taste buds - In a three day event study, researchers noted that horses tend to be reluctant to drink at competitions, probably because the water tastes different from the water at home. Their suggestion: Begin treating your horse’s home water with a little flavorant, such as Jell-O. When you do the same at competitions, the horse won’t recognize any difference in the unfamiliar water.

Feed for the heat - A recent eventing study conducted by researchers at Rutgers University, the University of Tennessee and Research Design Associates, found that a low-hay, high protein diet that relies heavily on pasture for forage may be linked to increased risk of metabolic problems in the endurance phase. The researchers advise cutting grain and sweet feed rations at competitions. Do feed ample high-quality grass or alfalfa hay four to five hours before competing, however, the absorbent fiber in the intestines creates a fluid reservoir.

Watch his weight - Weight drop during or after a ride or heavy work indicates performance-hindering (or potentially dangerous) fluid loss. If you find you need extra holes to keep the girth snug, your horse may be dehydrated. Two holes means heads up; four holes is cause for serious concern. Another indicator is the skin-pinch test at point of shoulder. A delay in recovery of up to one second means heads up; two to three seconds is a RED ALERT. Give water only, not electrolytes, to a dehydrated horse. Since salt draws water to it, electrolytes will pull additional water into the gut, not into the fluid-starved muscles and blood, the result is further dehydration.

Thanks to Equus Magazine for portions of the above article

HELPING YOURSELF BEAT THE HEAT
When attending a training or while at a search and rescue mission, eat light meals and drink plenty of fluids with electrolytes if possible, water if not. Before a training or special detail, try to avoid the intake of alcoholic beverages for 24 hours. Although they appear to satisfy thirst, they actually cause further body dehydration. Try to avoid the sun if possible. Sunburn slows the skin’s ability to cool itself. Use a sunscreen lotion with a high sun protection factor rating.

Be aware of the possibility of ailments caused by severe exposure to the sun or heat:
Sunburn -
Symptoms: Skin redness and pain, possible swelling, blisters, fever and headache. First Aid: Take a shower, using soap to remove oils that may block pores preventing the body from cooling naturally. If blisters occur, apply dry, sterile dressing and get medical attention.
Heat Cramps -
Symptoms: Painful spasms usually in the leg and abdominal muscles. Heavy sweating. First Aid: Firm pressure on cramping muscles or gentle massage to relieve spasm. Give sips of water. If nausea occurs, discontinue the water.
Heat Exhaustion -
Symptoms: Heavy sweating, weakness, cold, pale or clammy skin. Weak pulse. Normal temperature is possible. Fainting or vomiting is also possible. First Aid: Lie victim down in a cool place and loosen clothing. Apply cool, wet cloths. Fan or move the victim to air-conditioned place if possible. Give sips of water. If nausea occurs, discontinue the water. If vomiting occurs, seek immediate medical attention.
Heat Stroke -
Symptoms: High body temperature. Hot, dry skin. Rapid, strong pulse. Possible unconsciousness. Victim will likely not sweat. First Aid: Heat stroke is a SEVERE MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Use extreme caution. Call 911 or get the victim to a hospital immediately. Delay can be fatal. Remove clothing and move the victim to a cooler environment. Use fans and/or air conditioners. Try a cool bath or sponging to reduce body temperature. Do not give fluids.

NATURAL REMEDIES
Night Blindness - When you are in your teens, you could see fine just about any time. As you get older, however, you may find it harder to see at night, especially after any oncoming vehicle passes. Often associated with aging, night blindness can be caused by a shortage of thodopsin, a pigment found in the retina that allows nervous impulses to travel from the eyes to the brain. Thodopsin is found in vitamin A, so problems with night vision may mean that you are not getting enough of this nutrient. Because night blindness can also be caused by glaucoma or inadequate blood circulation to the eyes, you should see your doctor any time you notice a change in your night vision. The natural remedies below, may help your night vision according to some health professionals.

Night blindness can be caused by a deficiency of vitamin A, so eat more yellow-orange vegetables such as carrots, pumpkin and squash says Julian Whitaker, M.D. Dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach are also good.

Bilberries (which are also available from your health food store in capsule form) are a popular remedy for poor night vision, according to Michael Murray, N.D. British Royal Air Force pilots prepare for nocturnal flights by eating bilberry preserves. Recently, studies have also shown that extracts of the common blueberry can also improve night vision, when drinking at least 16 ounces of juice daily.

LIGHTNING MYTHS AND FACTS
Myth: If you touch a person or animal that has been hit by lightning, you will get an electrical shock.
Fact: People and animals that are hit by lightning are non-electric the instant the event is over. They do not carry a charge according to Richard Kithil of the National Lightning Safety Institute. That is because lightning travels through the person or animal on its way into the earth. Since lightning travels at the speed of light, you can make contact almost immediately after a hit without worrying about getting a secondary shock.

Myth: All lightning poses a danger.
Fact: All lightning that moves from the clouds to the ground poses a risk to objects on earth. However, other types of lightning such as cloud to cloud (also known as heat lightning), cloud to atmosphere, and ground to cloud - are not a threat to anyone or anything on the ground.

Myth: Lightning rods prevent lightning strikes.
Fact: The sole purpose of a lightning rod is to provide a preferred path to earth if lightning does strike. In other words, if a bolt comes out of the blue, it is going to aim for the lightning rod and not for whatever else is nearby. Although not every building needs a lightning rod, adding one might bring peace of mind and certainly will not do any harm.

Myth: You are safe from lightning when in a car, because of the rubber tires. Fact: Rubber tires do not insulate a car and prevent it from being hit by lightning. If a car is hit by lightning, the current will go from the metal skin to the earth, sometimes through the tires, destroying them in the process. If you are in a car during a lightning storm, do not touch any metal part of the car, or the car radio.

For our mounted unit members and equine owners:
Myth: You will know if your horse gets hit by lightning, because he’ll have big burn marks on his coat.
Fact: While you may see obvious singe marks if your horse was standing next to something (a metal fence or water trough) when he was hit, often you will see no easily visible signs of a lightning strike, according to veterinarians. If you know where to look, you can find more subtle marks: lightning produces a thin line of curling hair, usually found on the inside of the legs and sometimes continuing up to the shoulders and forequarters. It can be difficult to see, but one trick that is used is to spray a fine mist and soak the body. Then, the pattern sticks out. Equine autopsies have consistently revealed severe congestion of the veins in the ground leg (the leg through which the lightning bolt exits) as well as an occasional fractured eye lens.
Fact: For every five seconds that pass between the lightning’s flash and the thunder’s bang, the storm itself is one mile away.

QUOTES OF THE MONTH
The smallest good deed is better than the grandest good intention.
Duguet
It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Losers visualize the penalties of failure. Winners visualize the rewards of success.
Dr. Rob Gilbert
The real secret of success is enthusiasm.
Walter Chrysler

Notice

 GPSAR News is published monthly by Greater Philadelphia Search and Rescue. Material published herein may be reproduced with credit by other non-profit organizations. Others should request reprint rights from GPSAR. Editorial content may be the opinion of the author and not necessarily that of Greater Philadelphia Search and Rescue. The right to edit or not publish submissions is retained by editor, dependant on available space and content of submission.