DANGERS PARTICULAR TO THE AREA
Lyme Disease
Please see attached information sheet on this subject.
Also for more information on biting insects including ticks and their tick-bourne diseases see the comprehensive web site by Fairfax County, including their lab details. www.fairfaxcounty.gov/hd/westnile/
Please see attached information sheet on this subject.
Also for more information on biting insects including ticks and their tick-bourne diseases see the comprehensive web site by Fairfax County, including their lab details. www.fairfaxcounty.gov/hd/westnile/
Poison Ivy
Poison ivy has a distressing toxic action on the skin of people who come into contact with it. The offending substance of the plant is an oil, which is present throughout the root stem, leaf, flower and fruit. Tearing and bruising of any part liberates the oil, which may become in contact with the exposed parts of the body either directly or by handling contaminated objects. This oil may stick to clothing and especially to boots, tools or picnic
baskets and may be easily transferred to the hands and face and to other persons who have not been directly exposed at all. Running through patches of the ivy can also contaminate pets. Although animals do not react to the poison a sensitive person can be poisoned merely by petting a contaminated animal. The oil is also said to be vaporised by the heat, which may be inhaled and very serious reaction may result.
Individuals vary greatly in susceptibility to poisoning and many have
never suffered any ill effects from contact.
What does it look like?
Poison Ivy looks nothing like the ivy we are familiar with in Europe. It is a woody perennial and may grow as
dwarf shrubby plants only a few centimetres high and carpeting the ground, or as an upright plant – 60 to 90 cms high or the vine like form.
Each leaf of poison ivy consists of three leaflets. The stalk of the middle leaflet stalks are joined together at the tip of the lone longer stalk called a petiole. There is only one set of three leaflets on each petiole.
In spring and early summer the young unfolding leaflets are reddish or bronze green and droop or hang limply from the ends of their upraised petioles. They gradually become firmer and their colour changes to bright green. Their upper surface is nearly smooth and sometimes has a glossy or varnished appearance.
Shortly after the leaves have formed in the spring clusters of small erect greenish white flowers develop on some plants in the angles where the leaf petioles join the stem. During the summer these flowers develop round hard berries. After the leaves have dropped in the fall, poison ivy can be identified easily by the clusters of greyish to white waxy looking berries on short erect bare stems which have alternatively arranged buds and leaf
scars.
Treatment
As soon as possible after exposure to poison ivy the oils should be washed off the skin by repeated thorough latherings with soap, accompanied by generous amounts of water. The first sign of poisoning is dermatitis usually characterised by light itching, followed by a faint blush of the skin. The itching sensation increases and a few hours to some days later small watery blisters appear. Reactions can vary and severe reactions should result in medical advice being sought.
If you think you have poison ivy growing in your garden, please contact the estates team who will arrange identification and
removal. Do not use a strimmer under any circumstances, as this will disperse the the oil in a split second, to a far greater area.
Poison ivy has a distressing toxic action on the skin of people who come into contact with it. The offending substance of the plant is an oil, which is present throughout the root stem, leaf, flower and fruit. Tearing and bruising of any part liberates the oil, which may become in contact with the exposed parts of the body either directly or by handling contaminated objects. This oil may stick to clothing and especially to boots, tools or picnic
baskets and may be easily transferred to the hands and face and to other persons who have not been directly exposed at all. Running through patches of the ivy can also contaminate pets. Although animals do not react to the poison a sensitive person can be poisoned merely by petting a contaminated animal. The oil is also said to be vaporised by the heat, which may be inhaled and very serious reaction may result.
Individuals vary greatly in susceptibility to poisoning and many have
never suffered any ill effects from contact.
What does it look like?
Poison Ivy looks nothing like the ivy we are familiar with in Europe. It is a woody perennial and may grow as
dwarf shrubby plants only a few centimetres high and carpeting the ground, or as an upright plant – 60 to 90 cms high or the vine like form.
Each leaf of poison ivy consists of three leaflets. The stalk of the middle leaflet stalks are joined together at the tip of the lone longer stalk called a petiole. There is only one set of three leaflets on each petiole.
In spring and early summer the young unfolding leaflets are reddish or bronze green and droop or hang limply from the ends of their upraised petioles. They gradually become firmer and their colour changes to bright green. Their upper surface is nearly smooth and sometimes has a glossy or varnished appearance.
Shortly after the leaves have formed in the spring clusters of small erect greenish white flowers develop on some plants in the angles where the leaf petioles join the stem. During the summer these flowers develop round hard berries. After the leaves have dropped in the fall, poison ivy can be identified easily by the clusters of greyish to white waxy looking berries on short erect bare stems which have alternatively arranged buds and leaf
scars.
Treatment
As soon as possible after exposure to poison ivy the oils should be washed off the skin by repeated thorough latherings with soap, accompanied by generous amounts of water. The first sign of poisoning is dermatitis usually characterised by light itching, followed by a faint blush of the skin. The itching sensation increases and a few hours to some days later small watery blisters appear. Reactions can vary and severe reactions should result in medical advice being sought.
If you think you have poison ivy growing in your garden, please contact the estates team who will arrange identification and
removal. Do not use a strimmer under any circumstances, as this will disperse the the oil in a split second, to a far greater area.
Rabies
Rabies primarily affects animals, but it can be transmitted from a rabid animal to a human by a bite of by a lick over a break of the skin. Once human symptoms develop human rabies is usually fatal. Most human cases are a result of a bite from a rabid dog. However, the possibility of rabies must be considered whenever a mammal, domestic or wild bites a human in a country where the rabies virus is present. USA is one such country. In the USA domestic dogs are vaccinated annually and stray dogs are killed to prevent the spread. However, you should be aware that the disease exists and should try to avoid contact with wild animals such as squirrels and racoons etc.
Cat Scratch Disease
This is an infection caused by bacteria (germs) carried in cat saliva. The bacteria can be passed from cat to human via a bite or a
scratch. It can be a problem in people with weak immune systems.
scratch. It can be a problem in people with weak immune systems.
