TESTER Naval Air Station Patuxent River
US Army birthday June 14 Celebrating 240 years Vol. 72, No. 23
CREDO Retreats Offered Page 2
Lincoln Military Housing Awards Page 3
Clean The Bay – Pax River Style Page 5
Celebrating 72 Years of Community Partnership
Ticked off about Lyme disease
Facts to know
• Transmitted by the bite of an infected black-legged tick, which must be attached for at least 24 hours for transmission to occur • From three to 30 days after a tick bite, a gradually expanding rash can occur at the site of the bite in up to 80 percent of infected people
Photo courtesy of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection you get from the bite of an infected tick. The first symptom is usually a rash, which may look like a bullseye . By Donna Cipolloni NAS Patuxent River Public Affairs yme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in Maryland and the U.S., according to the St. Mary’s County Health Department website; and a couple of NAS Patuxent River employees know all too well what can happen if you’re infected. As the director of Naval Recreation Center Solomons, Carrie Rose is outdoors a lot and ticks are not an uncommon occurrence, so she thought nothing of removing one back in late April 2013. “It was very small, near the
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waistband of my pants,” she said. “I pulled it off easily and didn’t think anything of it.” About three weeks later, fatigue set in. Rose began sleeping an unusual 12 or more hours, yet still felt worn out. “I developed a low grade fever, I felt achy, my joints were sore and I started making excuses for what it might be,” she said. “At first I suspected the flu and tried to power through it. Then I was tested for mono, and even gout. It all came back negative. Finally, the third time I was in the doctor’s office [about eight weeks afterward] during a random conversa-
June 11, 2015
tion about work, I mentioned the tick bite.” In hindsight, Rose remembers noticing a slightly warm-to-thetouch red spot near where she had removed the tick, but thought it was irritation from her waistband. She never experienced the spreading or target-shaped rash typically symptomatic of Lyme disease. While waiting for the blood results that would eventually confirm her illness, Rose’s doctor started her on a round of antibiotics as a precautionary measure, not knowing just how fortuitous that decision would be. “I started having excruciating
abdominal pain and thought it was an adverse reaction to the meds,” Rose explained. “It turns out my appendix had ruptured and the only thing that stopped the infection from being much worse was the fact that I was on high-dose antibiotics for Lyme.” Rose had her appendix removed, but she said battling Lyme disease had lowered her immune system, resulting in five weeks of bed rest before she recovered. On meds for nearly four months, she feels fortunate that she has had no lingering symptoms.
See Ticks, Page 4
• If untreated, may cause loss of muscle tone on one or both sides of face, severe headaches, neck stiffness, shooting pains, heart palpitations, dizziness and shifting joint pain • After several months, 60 percent of untreated patients may develop severe joint pain and swelling, particularly in the knees. Five percent of patients may experience shooting pains, numbness or tingling in hands and feet, and problems with concentration and short term memory
Repelling ticks • Treat clothes with permethrin, but don’t use it directly on the skin. Spray insect repellant containing 20-50 percent DEET on clothes and exposed skin. Use up to 30 percent DEET on children over 2 months old. Source: www.MarylandTickoff.org
Hang up and drive
Understanding the hazards of distracted driving By Shawn Graham NAS Patuxent River Public Affairs
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n 2013, 3,154 people were killed and approximately 424,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashed across the country involving a distracted driver, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Distracted driving can range from texting, making or answering a call, eating, personal grooming and fiddling with the radio buttons, just to name a few. According to Distraction.gov, a website sponsored by the NHTSA, sending or receiving a text takes a
driver’s eyes from the road for an average of five seconds. If you are traveling 55mph, this equals driving the length of a football field without looking at the road. NHTSA estimates that one in five crashes in which someone was injured is due to distracted driving. Listed below are a few statistics about the dangers of distracted driving according to the NHTSA: • At any given daylight moment across America, approximately 660,000 drivers are using cell phones or manipulating electronic devices while driving, a number that has held steady since 2010. • Ten percent of fatal crashes, 18 percent of injury crashes and 16 percent of all motor vehicle traffic crashes were reported as distraction-affected crashes.
Top five traffic violations on base January – April 2015
Speeding 525 Failure to obey traffic control device 170 Cell phone violation 103 Seat belt violation 6 Driving vehicle off roadway while passing vehicle 4
• Ten percent of all drivers 15-19 years old involved in fatal crashes were reported as distracted at the time of the crashes. Remember, Pax River personnel are prohibited by state law as well Pax River, while driving any
U.S. Navy photo by Shawn Graham
Distracted driving is a deadly behavior. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates suggest that distraction contributes to 16 percent of all fatal crashes, leading to thousands of deaths every year. vehicle on or off installations, on official government business, from text messaging, using cell phones, or using other hand-held electronic devices, unless the vehicle is safely parked.
Understanding the dangers associated with distracted driving, and educating yourself and those around you about them, can help reduce the frequency of distracted driving incidents.