Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is the most widespread vector-borne disease in the USA and is a major problem worldwide. Ticks know no borders and respect no boundaries. A patient's county of residence does not accurately reflect his or her Lyme disease risk.

Lyme disease has been reported in every state of the US, and is a growing problem in other areas of the world as well.

In 2007, 27,244 cases of Lyme disease were reported to the Center for Disease Control (CDC). That is 2,287 cases per month, 571 cases each week, 77 cases per day, and 3 people each hour.

Lyme disease is under-reported. Of the reported cases only approximately 23,000 per year meet the strict criteria. The CDC has gone on record saying that they estimate the official cases reported may be 10% of the total number of cases that would be accepted if all cases were reported, so 230,000 new cases per year is likely the reality.

Fewer than 50% of patients with recall a tick bite. In some studies this number is as low as 15% in culture-proven infection with the Lyme spirochete.

Although “bull’s-eye” rash is 100% diagnostic less than 50% develop any rash at all. A rash can appear and may disappear before you see it, it may be located on a part of your body that you cannot see, like your scalp, and the rash is also very difficult to see on those who have darker skin. Absence of the rash does not mean you do not have a tick-borne disease.

Lyme disease has been frequently misdiagnosed, especially in absence of the rash, as MS, ALS, Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia, Autism, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and others. Lyme disease is often referred to as “The Great Imitator”, as it can virtually imitate any symptom of any disease.

Lab tests for Lyme disease are not reliable. A person may test negative for Lyme disease and still have the disease. Patients report having problems getting diagnosed and are often diagnosed late. In 1988 the NY Health Dept. warned physicians that the 'two-tiered' (ELISA/Western Blot) criterion was missing up to 45% of positive Lyme cases. In 2005, a study by John's Hopkins University concluded that the IDSA-endorsed two-tier criteria was missing 75% of positive Lyme cases.

Diagnosis and treatment can be difficult for a patient infected with co-infections as co-infections tend to complicate both the diagnosis and treatment processes.

Lyme disease is a clinical diagnosis and should be made by a knowledgeable physician who has met with and talk with the patient at length, reviewing current symptoms, past patient history and patient lifestyle.

There has never been a study showing that 30 days of antibiotics cures Lyme disease, yet there is a differing opinion about short-term versus long-term treatments. If symptoms return after short-term treatment it may indicate that the bacteria have not been fully eliminated. Without further treatment the patient could become much more ill and suffer from Chronic Lyme disease.

The most common way is through the bite of an infected tick; however tick-borne diseases can also be contracted through a blood transfusion, congenitally- infected mother to fetus, from other insect/ arachnid bites and possibly through sexual transmission.

Deer ticks are not the only species of tick that carry Lyme disease. Lyme ticks are carried by over 300 different species of animals including mammals, birds and reptiles. Live spirochetes have been found in mosquitoes, mite’s fleas and biting flies. Transmission through some of these routes has been documented

Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb) is the most complex bacterium known to science. Lyme disease is a very complex illness, not always easy to diagnose or treat.

There are over 100 strains of Borrelia burgdorferi in the United States, 300 strains worldwide and 5 subspecies of Borrelia burgdorferi. This diversity is thought to contribute to the antigenic variability of the spirochete and its ability to evade the immune system and antibiotic therapy, leading to chronic infection.

Studies on mice and other animals have shown that transmission can occur in less than 24 hours. It is believed that if the tick is carrying the bacteria in its salivary glands rather than it’s mid-gut after infecting another host, the bacteria could be transmitted instantly.

Do not use folklore remedies such as petroleum jelly or hot matches to encourage a tick to detach from skin. In fact, this may make matters worse by irritating the tick and stimulating it to release additional saliva, increasing the chances of transmitting infection. To Remove a Tick grasp the tick close to the skin with tweezers and pull it straight out

Children are at the highest risk of acquiring Lyme disease due to their active lifestyles which usually involve a lot of outdoor playtime and outdoor sporting events. Studies have shown significant IQ drops in students with Lyme, serious psychiatric symptoms, as well as cognitive and sleep disturbances-- all of which may easily go misdiagnosed.

Lyme disease can affect any part of the body's systems and/or organs. Lyme and associated tick-borne diseases can lead to neurologic, cardiac, psychiatric and arthritic symptoms.. It is estimated anywhere from 15-30% of those infected with Lyme may develop chronic disease.

Do thorough tick checks and don’t forget to check your pet’s too Be sure to cover your skin when walking in tall grass, woods or other tick-infested areas. Tuck your pants into your socks and your shirt into your pants. Use 25% DEET spray (10% on children) on exposed skin.

The fastest growing infectious disease in the Country