Lyme Disease is the fastest growing infectious disease in our country as it threatens the lives of both humans and our dogs. Thanks to Eva H , president of the Empire Lyme Association, we are now offering an educational series on Lyme Disease beginning this month. Eva has chosen to rise from victim to advocate and educator and hopes that this series on Lyme will empower us all against this deadly disease and will help us protect our beloved dogs and ourselves from its ravages. Here is the first in a series called Lyme Disease and Hope .
Lyme Disease: Facts and Hope
By Eva Haughie Pres, Empire State Lyme Disease Association
Lyme disease was named after the Connecticut town where it was discovered in 1975. While the reported numbers of human cases make it the most widespread vector-borne disease in the USA, the CDC admits that it is severely under-reported. The 20,000 cases reported annually may represent closer to 200,000 cases. New York has one of the highest rates, with 75,233 cases reported to CDC from 1990 to 2006. The actual number of NY cases may be 750,000.
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Ticks & Other Vectors of Lyme & Other Diseases
By Eva Haughie Pres, Empire State Lyme Disease Association
DISEASE TRANSMISSION WITH ONE BITE
A tick, mosquito, louse, mite, arachnid, or other vector can be infected with microbes, worms or parasites. If these parasites are transmitted via a bite or other means, it could potentially cause considerable health challenges to humans, livestock and pets. A single tick can harbor multiple different disease-causing organisms and can transmit all of them in just one bite! It is hard not to feel alarmed when one considers this information. However, it is good to be informed, educated and aware, to know how to avoid bites and what to do if bitten. You must draw your own conclusions about whether a bite is something to worry about, but to be on the safe side, note a bite and any consequences on a calendar or in a journal. Fortunately, there is no need to panic because there are many ways to prevent bites, many ways to attend to the consequences of any bite and we are learning more each day. If a person is sick and suspects tick-borne illnesses, but no bite has ever been seen at least, in some endemic areas, doctors test patients by doing a "tick panel" which includes looking for the most common tick-borne diseases in that area. Tests are yet to be highly accurate or reliable, so a clinical evaluation where a diagnosis relies on other factors of the patient's history rather than solely on results of blood work.
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