MIDDLETOWN — Perhaps no one was more pleased to see children checking themselves for ticks at Norman Bird Sanctuary than Christine Clancey, a teacher at Gaudet Middle School in Middletown who was there last week with her sixth-graders for a geology program.

Last summer her daughter Reilly contracted Lyme disease after a deer tick somehow found its way into the 8-year-old’s right ear during a soccer camp in Middletown, said Ms. Clancey. Reilly, who had never been in any tall grass, started running a fever and was completely exhausted. A few days later she developed the classic “bull’s-eye” rash that characterizes the disease.

Luckily, the family got her to a doctor early and Reilly was treated with antibiotics. She recovered quickly, but it was a wake-up call for the family when it came to ticks.

“It’s a very scary thing. The doctor said a lot of people don’t even know when it happens” said Ms. Clancey, noting that deer ticks can be hard to detect because of their small size. “You kind of wish they were enormous so you’d know what to look for.”

Experts at the University of Rhode Island (URI) are warning East Bay residents in particular to be vigilant in checking for ticks, which can often burrow into your skin undetected.

Typically, one in five nymphal deer ticks carry the Lyme disease bacteria, while as many as one in two adult ticks are infected. However, tests conducted last year by URI’s Center for Vector-Borne Disease concluded that the infection rate of Lyme disease-causing bacteria (called spirochetes) was nearly twice as high in deer ticks collected from sites in Middletown and Jamestown than anywhere else in the state. Those results followed disturbing findings in 2007 that showed the abundance of nymphal deer ticks had jumped more than 200 percent at several forested locations on Aquidneck Island and in Jamestown.

The reason for the increase in deer ticks locally could be explained by the dramatic spike over the past few years in the population of rodents such as white-footed mice and chipmunks, according to Dr. Thomas Mather, professor of entomology at URI and director of the Center for Vector-Borne Disease. The rodents are the main larval hosts involved in infecting deer ticks with pathogens that are then passed on to humans, he said.

Whatever the reason, “the bottom line is people need to be very careful,” Dr. Mather said, adding that the peak season for nymphal deer ticks is just beginning.

In addition to deer ticks, local residents also deal with the more common dog ticks, which can carry the potentially dangerous Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and Lone Star ticks, which usually keep to Prudence Island.

But neither of those ticks carry Lyme disease. Although rarely fatal, Lyme disease can cause permanent damage to the joints or the nervous system if not treated quickly. Brian Follett, a 20-year-old South Kingstown resident, was left virtually blind after contracting the disease when he was in sixth grade, according to one of the “patient profiles” you can find on the website (www.tickencounter.org) for the Tick Encounter Resource Center, the principal outreach program of the Center for Vector-Borne Disease.

“That’s a disability that will follow him for the rest of his life,” said Dr. Mather, who took Mr. Follett to testify at the Rhode Island State House on a hearing regarding prevention efforts. “‘Look at me,’” he said, ‘Don’t let this happen to you.’”

Besides the health issues involved, Lyme disease is expensive to treat, he said. “We’ve estimated that on an annual basis, Lyme disease can cost Rhode Island and Rhode Islanders somewhere around $30 million — and it’s completely preventable,” Dr. Mather said.

The best way to ward off ticks is to use the clothing repellent permethrin or have a repellent sprayed around the perimeter of your yard (see related story), he said.

Frequent deer checks are also important. You have to look carefully, however, because 75 percent of nymphal deer ticks go undetected for more than a day, he said. “If they stay attached for two days, they have a good chance to pass the infection and you may get sick,” Dr. Mather said.

When checking, “think about where your clothing constricts — your underwear, the back of your knees, under your arms and for women, along their bra straps ... those are very common places for ticks to attach,” said Dr. Mather.

If you find a tick, it’s important to identify it to know what you’re dealing with. “If it’s a dog tick, you’ll worry less. If it’s a deer tick, you’ll worry more. You might want to get the deer tick tested to see if it’s the one in five that are infected,” he said. “If it’s a deer tick and you think it’s been attached for more than a day, you might want to have it tested just for peace of mind. It’s a little pricey, but for some people peace of mind is worth it.”

Don’t forget the pets, either. Once a month, treat your dog or cat with a spray-on product that kills ticks, he said. Some brands of tick collars are effective, but they should be used in addition to something applied directly, he added.

Safety first at public programs

Local wildlife refuges have are taking strict precautions to deal with the growing threat of Lyme disease during school and public programs.

“As individuals in the environmental field, we have a heightened awareness. We don’t take it lightly,” said Kristen Swanberg, the Audubon Society of Rhode Island’s senior director of education, noting that all staff members know of people who have contracted Lyme disease.

Ms. Swanberg said she hasn’t yet found a deer tick on herself, but that doesn’t mean the threat doesn’t exist. “The refuge manager’s dog got Lyme disease and the dog was on the property,” said Ms. Swanberg, adding that the dog recovered after being treated with antibiotics.

Campers and visitors are encouraged to wear long pants and socks, to tuck pants into the socks, and to do frequent tick checks both at the refuges and after returning home, she said.

It’s the same at the Norman Bird Sanctuary, which also hosts campers, schools groups and other visitors who often take long hikes through the 450-acre wildlife refuge.

“Two to three times during the hike, we ask them to bend down and check their ankles,” said Brenden DePrest of Portsmouth, a Sanctuary educator who was leading one group of students from Gaudet Middle School last week. “We also tell the kids to check themselves in the shower when they get home.”

Everyone is asked to stay within the Sanctuary’s well-maintained trails, said Catherine Arning, director of education. “We also ask them to stay off stone walls. Even though they call them deer ticks, they can live on mice,” she said.

If a deer tick was found on a child, especially one that was embedded, it would be sent home to a parent “in case they want to get it tested,” Ms. Arning said.

During Gaudet Middle School’s visit to the Sanctuary last week, the group stopped three times for tick checks during the hike, as well as a “buddy check” at the end. “I had one on my shoe!” student Kendra Murphy exclaimed after shooing the pest away.

No other ticks were reported, however, and Ms. Clancey said the previous school group of about 100 kids found no pests along their hike. “I work here every day and I’ve never had a problem,” Mr. DePrest told the children during the hike.

No reason for panic

Environmental educators say the increased threat of Lyme disease shouldn’t discourage anyone from getting outside as long as they’re careful.

“We do definitely take precautions,” said Ms. Kristen Swanberg. “We want people to get outdoors and spend more time enjoying nature and we don’t want it to be a scary place.”

Ms. Arning agreed.

“Our main objection is to educate people as fully as we can. We still want people to go outside and enjoy themselves and learn about nature, but also take the threat of Lyme disease very seriously,” she said. “We don’t want to upset children or the family. Obviously there a lot of concerns and rightfully so, but we want to ensure that kids have a safe and happy summer.”

Read about more steps you can take to avoid the Lyme disease threat in the May 26-27 issue of East Bay Newspapers.