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Farleymcg t1_iv5v3w4 wrote

I don’t think it’s confirmed they can transmit Lyme to humans , from the article……. “Although several tick-borne pathogens have been detected in deer keds, including the bacteria that cause Lyme disease, cat scratch fever and anaplasmosis, it’s unknown whether they can be transmitted through the insect’s bite.”

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SafetyNoodle t1_iv5yqet wrote

Additionally it sounds like you're unlikely to get bitten except when actively skinning a deer carcass.

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Roxmysox68 t1_iv7iawu wrote

This is the first time ive seen them, harvested a buck two years ago and when i went to field dress it they were crawling under its armpits and needless to say (grew up in the woods my whole life and am no stranger to insects) i was thoroughly creeped out. Found out what they are and got it harvested but the butcher said hes never seen them in these numbers before. I wonder if they have anything to do with these new diseases on whitetails in recent years. I don’t remember in all the years my grandfather had me hunting with him and being in the woods do i ever remember seeing them.

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Hi_hosey t1_iv6b122 wrote

First time I saw them was 2 years ago. Both my DIL and I have been bitten from just walking in the woods. Not in PA - in NH.

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AjayiMVP t1_iv6188m wrote

That’s a bunch of horseshit that makes no sense.

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SafetyNoodle t1_iv61opx wrote

They're mostly flightless and they much prefer deer. It makes a lot of sense. Many parasites are very host specific and won't stray from that unless there is a super easy opportunity or a mistaken identity. From the article...

> Deer keds are usually found on deer, elk and moose, but occasionally bite humans and domestic mammals. [...]

> Deer hunters are most likely to come into contact with deer keds, as they process deer they kill.

> "Deer keds can run up your arm while you're field dressing a deer and bite you,” said Michael Skvarla, extension educator and director of the Insect Identification Lab in the Department of Entomology at Penn State.

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AjayiMVP t1_iv62eyt wrote

Yeah, still horseshit. They have wings and do fly. When they find their host they drop their wings. You might be more likely to get bit field dressing a deer but that isn’t exclusive. I find a few on me almost every time I go out in Oct/Nov and do get bit. I haven’t field dressed a deer in years.

EDIT: The post I responded to was Nina edited by OP. It originally said something very different.

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dolanbp t1_iv6d805 wrote

Yes, but they are single-host ectoparasites. They tend to land on, feed on, and finish their life cycle on one host. They aren't like ticks that will go from host to host. They also aren't generally found on other animals (rodents primarily) that act as a "resevoir" for Lyme and and other diseases. Lyme and other pathogens found in deer keds were likely picked up from the host deer, and since deer keds don't generally move from host to host they are highly unlikely to transmit it to humans. That means the ones you find on you likely haven't fed on a host yet that could have Lyme or other diseases. There seems to be no evidence they pass Lyme or other disease to humans.

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point_breeze69 t1_iv6401r wrote

No they transmit limes. They are great for preventing scurvy.

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IamSauerKraut t1_iv8tqs1 wrote

Think they might also have some oranges with those limes?

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point_breeze69 t1_iv9wduc wrote

They are basically the bug version of those Chiquita dancers with the fruit on their head from back in the day. So yea.

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InvestmentPatient117 t1_iv7g65r wrote

Had cat scratch when I was a kid. My neck gland blew up the size of a softball. Luckily antibiotics took it down

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