Politics and Medicine - Symptoms are not always recognized and, if left untreated, Lyme can result in more ser

Author

Symptoms are not always recognized and, if left untreated, Lyme can result in more ser

Kathleen

2006-05-10, 6:26 pm

Symptoms are not always recognized and, if left untreated, Lyme can
result in more serious illnesses. Chronic Lyme disease can lead to
cognitive disorders and other disabilities and behavioral problems in
children.

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May 10, 2006
Deer committee offers recommendations to public

by JAN HOWARD

After nearly a year of discussions, presentations and research, the
Weston Select Committee on Deer Management is ready to make some
recommendations. But first, it wants to give the public one last chance
to offer input.

The committee will hold a public meeting May 23 at 7:30 p.m. at town
hall for discussion of its proposed findings and recommendations.

Following the May 23 public meeting, the committee will meet May 30 to
finalize its report that will be presented to the Board of Selectmen on
June 15.

Copies of the ?Selected Findings and Proposed Recommendations? are
available at town hall. A copy may also be requested at
deercommittee@optonline.net. And, the findings have also been posted on
the town?s Web site, www.weston-ct.com.

Jay Fortin, the committee?s chairman, encourages Westonites to attend
the public meeting and participate in the discussion.

?I was frankly surprised by the lack of public attendance at our
meetings,? Mr. Fortin said this week. ?Part of our mandate was to
gauge public opinion, so we are hoping that people will read the
proposed findings and recommendations and come to the meeting at town
hall on May 23 to tell us what they think, good or bad,? he said.

?We won?t necessarily change our recommendations, but if we get
strong feedback one way or the other, we might at least note that in
our final report to the selectmen,? Mr. Fortin said.

Residents may also send written comments to the Committee on Deer
Management, c/o Town of Weston, P.O. Box 1007, Weston, CT 06883, or to
the committee?s e-mail address.

Changing balance
?Some believe the deer population would manage itself if we simply
left them alone,? Mr. Fortin said. ?Unfortunately, the evidence
does not support that conclusion. There may have been a natural balance
at one time, but man has changed the natural environment dramatically,
by eliminating predators and creating conditions that are very
favorable for deer.?

If left unmanaged, he said, the deer population would outgrow the food
supply, causing deer to die from disease and/or starvation.

Mr. Fortin said he had been unaware of how serious Lyme disease can be,
especially if undiagnosed and not properly treated. ?I can?t be the
only one who didn?t fully appreciate the risks, so if we do nothing
else but convince a few more people to educate themselves, we will have
provided a valuable service.?

The committee report addresses five topics related to the deer
population: The size of Weston?s herd, Lyme disease, deer/auto
accidents, impact on ecology, and hunting and hunting safety.

Deer herd
The report cites aerial surveys that indicate Weston?s deer herd
decreased 26% between 2000 and 2004, to about 25 deer per square mile.
This number has been cited as the goal of area communities with higher
deer populations.

Weston?s lower population could be because of more open forestland,
sustained levels of hunting, and increase in predators.

The report notes the real issue is not the number of deer per square
mile but whether the number of new cases of Lyme disease and deer/auto
accidents and the level of ecological damage to forests are
satisfactory. All are directly related to deer density.

If these are at unacceptable levels, the most effective way to minimize
the risk of new cases of Lyme and to reduce accidents and ecological
damage is to lower deer density.

The report recommends the town continue to monitor deer herd density
and its effects, and any advances in deer birth control and/or tick
control technology, to determine if changes are necessary or advisable
in the future.

Lyme disease
Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne infectious disease in
Fairfield County. In 2002, nearly 24,000 new cases were reported
nationwide, and it is believed many cases are not reported. In 2000,
5,500 new cases were reported in Fairfield County, compared with 4,500
new cases in all of New York state.

Symptoms are not always recognized and, if left untreated, Lyme can
result in more serious illnesses. Chronic Lyme disease can lead to
cognitive disorders and other disabilities and behavioral problems in
children.

Spirochetes that cause the disease are passed to ticks when they feed
on infected mice and other small animals. Deer do not carry Lyme
disease, but are a primary host for adult female ticks. Findings
indicate the number of ticks in the environment is directly related to
deer population density.

Studies have shown that reducing the number of deer reduces the
probability of contracting Lyme disease. The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention and the Westport Weston Health District are
testing ?black boxes? that reduce tick populations by treating mice
with an insecticide. This technology appears promising but is expensive
and is not yet commercially available.

The report encourages residents to obtain the latest information on
Lyme disease and preventive measures from the health district and other
reliable sources.

It also recommends that Weston should continue participating in test
programs, and implementation of new technology should be encouraged if
proven safe and effective.

Deer/auto accidents
Of 2,778 deer road kills reported in Connecticut in 2003, 592 were in
Fairfield County. In 2004, 15 were reported in Weston. The Department
of Environment Protection (DEP) estimates only about one in five road
kills is reported, and counts do not include accidents in which deer
leave the site.

In Weston, Routes 53 and 57 have the highest reported accident rate.
Most accidents occur in darkness or at dawn/dusk during breeding season
(October to December), which also coincides with hunting season.

Fencing is the most effective method to keep deer off roadways, but is
expensive and impractical for long stretches of highway. Temporary
signs displayed during peak accident seasons have been shown to reduce
collisions.

The Strieter-Lite reflector system has also shown some promise as a way
to reduce collisions.

The report recommends that residents be educated about the peak season
for deer/auto accidents and drivers encouraged to slow down and be more
aware during this period. It also calls for stepped up enforcement of
speed limits and the use of temporary warning signs and existing mobile
radar speed indicators at strategic locations.

It also encourages clearing of brush and tall grass from roadsides so
deer are more easily seen. It suggests selection of a section of Route
53 or Route 57 for a test of the Strieter-Lite reflector system.

Impact on ecology
Because deer prefer to browse certain plants and avoid others, high
deer populations can lead to loss of regeneration of some species and
can contribute to the spread of alien invasive plants. Significant
reduction in native plant diversity and abundance causes a reduction in
the number of some birds and other wildlife.

The report notes that Weston is losing forestlands because of land
conversion.

Because of deer browsing, remaining forests are experiencing reduction
in shrub and sub-canopy regeneration, biological diversity, and
diversity in all sub-canopy layers.

Deer also cause significant damage to gardens and trees, shrubs and
ornamental plants used in landscaping.

Recommendations include the establishment of vegetation monitoring
plots.

It also encourages residents interested in effective methods to protect
gardens and landscaping to contact the Nature Conservancy at Devil?s
Den or other reliable sources.

Hunting and safety
Advances have been made in deer birth control technology; however, the
report notes, the only practical, currently available method to reduce
deer population density is by hunting.

There have been no known hunting accidents in Weston in the last 40
years.

But, as Weston becomes less rural, concerns about hunting safety in
residential areas are increasing and there have been some complaints
about illegal hunting, solicitation of landowners by hunters, and
unwanted intrusion of hunting activities.

The DEP no longer collects consent forms hunters are required to obtain
from landowners. Weston?s animal control officer believes copies of
such forms should be filed locally so enforcement personnel can
determine who has permission to hunt on which properties.

But, because hunting is regulated by the state, Weston cannot impose
its own restrictions without a change in state law or a legislative
waiver. The committee considered whether Weston should attempt to
obtain such a waiver, but after careful consideration and extended
debate, decided 4-1 against making such a recommendation.

The report recommends that residents should be reminded of legal
requirements for hunting on private land and encouraged to obtain
information from the DEP?s Bureau of Nature Resources Wildlife
Division.

Copies of The Connecticut Hunting and Trapping Guide are available in
the town clerk?s office or from the state.

The report suggests the town should consider keeping a voluntary list
of local licensed hunters available for landowners. Residents allowing
hunting on their properties should be encouraged to notify neighbors
when hunting will be taking place, and should also be advised to be
judicious about whether hunting is appropriate on small properties.

Residents should be encouraged to call enforcement personnel if illegal
hunting is suspected, the report says. And, the town?s
representatives in the state legislature should seek funding for more
local DEP conservation officers.

=A9 Copyright 2006 by Hersam Acorn newspapers
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