A workshop sponsored earlier this month by South Peninsula Hospital as part of their seasonal wellness program tackled public health concerns in rural communities. Part of Wellness Wednesday, the April 16 informational session addressed tick-borne illnesses and paralytic shellfish poisoning, with presentations by students at the University of Alaska Anchorage and University of New Hampshire.

The local UAA nursing cohort shared research on paralytic shellfish poisoning, including its causes, symptoms and prevention methods. They provided resources for public awareness and safety, and answered questions from the public. They also dispelled some myths, like the idea that you can only harvest shellfish in months that have the letter “r” in them (not true) or that you can test shellfish individually by seeing if your mouth goes numb, before consuming (also not safe). Instead, presenters suggested only harvesting shellfish at tested beaches or purchasing shellfish through a trusted, tested source.

Shellfish advisories are available at seator.org/data. Information about harmful algae blooms that cause the shellfish to become contaminated is available at ahab.aoos.org. For more specific questions, the nursing students directed attendees to contact Alaska DEC shellfish expert Carol Brady at 907-269-7636.

After the UAA presentation, community members were shown an additional, pre-recorded presentation showcasing the UNH nursing student’s research on the impact of tick-borne illness and ways in which to properly avoid, check, remove and treat tick bites. Resources and materials to combat the arachnids, including tick repellent and tick-removal tools, were made available to all participants.

The UNH nursing students also dispelled some common myths and misconceptions, like the idea that all ticks carry Lyme disease (they don’t), that you’re only at risk for Lyme in the northeast U.S. (not true), that ticks die off in the winter (they go into a kind of metabolic hibernation called diapause in cold environs), or that you will always feel the tick bite (they can be sneaky).

The last Wellness Wednesday of the season was held on Wednesday, April 23. Dr. Rob Downey of Seaworthy Functional Medicine hosted a talk on “Illuminating Our Psychology via Genetic Testing with Genomind.” The program will resume in the fall.

Reach reporter Chloe Pleznac at chloe.pleznac@homernews.com.

University of Alaska Anchorage, Kachemak Bay Campus nursing students pose for a photo on Wednesday, April 16 after their presentation of paralytic shellfish poisioning. (Chloe Pleznac/Homer News)