Did you see the report on the ABC Catalyst program on Tuesday 19^th February 2015? For anyone who loves walking in the Australian bush, this is a must see. In Australia we have been struggling for many years to have the spread of Lyme Disease recognised. And this struggle continues. Mr Vitamins Naturopath Janne Ramsay has written many articles on this as she spends many hours enjoying the beauty of our beautiful and unique landscape – Ticked off: Lyme Disease in Australia, Lyme Disease a Growing Problem and of course the safest but still efficient way to avoid ticks Insect bite or Insect Repellent, which is better? On Catalyst, a new and silent health issue was revealed ‘Mammalian Meat Allergy’. Here is the introduction to the report from Catalyst: “Mammalian meat allergy is on the rise in Australia and the surprising cause - a tick bite. Dr Jonica Newby meets Dr Sheryl van Nunen, the clinician who discovered the link. She found that if the tick had fed off another mammal first, the tick's blood was infected with a sugar called alpha gal. Once bitten by the infected tick some of our immune systems react to alpha gal causing an allergic reaction. This story is a must see if you want the latest tips on how best to remove a tick”. Of course, you can avoid this by doing all you can to not get bitten in the first place, but if you do get bitten, make sure you remove the tick correctly. And, if you can do this to avoid Mammalian meat allergy, then you will also be doing all you can to avoid Lyme’s Disease. Win, win. Here is the most up-to-date way to remove a tick by freezing off an adult tick, and by killing a nymph tick with products such as Lyclear. Definitely worth watching. You’ll also find the complete report about this amazing discovery by Sydney clinician Dr Sheryl van Nunen, and what symptoms to look out for if you have had many tick bites. The recognition of the problems faced as a result of tick bites can surely only ensure our future enjoyment the wonderful leafy outdoors, armed with the facts on how to avoid some of the nasty consequences of first- hand interaction with the varied and unique creatures with whom we share the bush.    

Naturopath Janne Ramsay

Janne Ramsay is a naturopath at Mr Vitamins. She is a confessed outdoors girl who spends many hours in the bush… Janne is available at the Mr Vitamins Clinic for private consultations.