Just got this in and don't know much about it yet. I'll check it out. It may be old news !!
UNF Researchers Make Big Discovery About Lyme Disease
By Melissa Ross It's a groundbreaking medical finding on the UNF campus.
Enlarge imageCredit www.npr.org Lyme disease is spread by ticks. It's becoming more common in the Southeast and Florida. Dr. Kerry Clark, University of North Florida associate professor of public health, and his colleagues have found two species of Lyme disease bacteria previously unknown to infect humans in patients.
These two Lyme disease species, Borrelia americana and Borrelia andersonii, were found in symptomatic patients living in the Southeastern United States. The commonly found lone star tick, formerly believed by many to be incapable of transmitting Lyme disease, was implicated in some of these cases.
His research, published in the May issue of The International Journal of Medical Sciences, is significant for several reasons. First, only one Lyme bacterial species, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, was previously recognized to cause disease in North America. Current testing methods and interpretation criteria, designed to detect just one species, may explain many of the complaints involving the unreliability of Lyme disease tests in the U.S.
�This study�s findings suggest that multiple Borrelia species may be causing Lyme disease in the Southeast, another tick species may also be transmitting it in the Southeast and that it may be much more common here than was previously thought,� says Clark. �Additional evidence presented suggests that some people may develop chronic infections, and the current antibody testing approach for Lyme disease may not identify the infections.�
The belief that only black-legged �deer ticks� can transmit Lyme disease has been widely publicized for decades. Lyme disease risk has been calculated largely based upon the prevalence and infection rate of these �deer ticks. Clark�s findings, together with past studies implicating lone star ticks associated with Lyme disease, suggest otherwise.
Clark and his team identified lone star ticks removed from humans who tested positive for Lyme bacteria, including the species of Borrelia burgdorferi, already known to cause the disease in North America. Some of the ticks removed from the patients tested positive, too.
Lyme disease can be quite serious and patients can suffer for years, often struggling with being properly diagnosed. Here are some tips to avoid it:
Protect Yourself from Tick Bites
Know where to expect ticks. Blacklegged ticks live in moist and humid environments. To avoid ticks, walk in the center of trails and avoid tall vegetation.
Use a repellent with DEET. Repellents containing 20% or more DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide) can be applied to the skin, and they can protect up to several hours.
Perform Daily Tick Checks. Check your body for ticks after being outdoors, even in your own yard. Conduct a body check upon return from potentially tick-infested areas by searching your entire body for ticks.
Tags: Lyme diseaseUNFticksfirst coast connect
Posted by BobG (Member # 39642) on :
This is relatively new news and if very significant for a number of reasons. It shows the CDC itself has not idea how large the epidemic is and their numbers are way off. Their "Lyme" map shows almost no Lyme in the South. Many people in the South have been complaining of Lyme for a long time and are taken even less seriously than they are in the North.
It indicates an aggressive tick thought to not be a vector for the disease is. Despite its name, it can be found in Canada.
Thanks for posting Al for others to see. Hopefully it will inspire others to contact the CDC to get moving. There is a rally going on at CDC's Facebook page. Go there and be heard!
Posted by jwall (Member # 22999) on :
I am helping this researcher with sending him ticks from NC. Amazing work he is doing!
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
Those in Florida should take note and make a copy of the article to show their doctors. Many doctors in Florida believe there is no lyme disease in Florida.
Posted by TerryK (Member # 8552) on :
There has been a battle for many years regarding a lyme like illness which has been identified to be caused by the lone star tick.
I would LOVE to send them the ticks and mosquitoes from my back yard!!!
Posted by randibear (Member # 11290) on :
i don't think we'll see anything done about lyme until some of these dang politicians end up with it. or maybe some really famous movie star.
Posted by ctone (Member # 38779) on :
They've known since the 90's at least that the lonestar tick carries lyme disease. This is a good article which was published in 2010. I live in Georgia, and I personally know a good number of people, including myself who were bitten by a lonestar tick and got a bullseye rash and all the classic symptoms of lyme disease.