The number of cases of Lyme disease in Massachusetts has exploded in recent years, increasing in some counties by more than 80 percent, public health authorities said yesterday.
The steep increase in cases has sparked a new effort by state health authorities to stress preventive measures people should take to avoid contracting the illness.
"We have seen those numbers increase over the past couple years," Department of Public Health spokeswoman Donna Rheaume said yesterday. "We really want to stress prevention...particularly if you live in a county where there is a lot of wooded areas."
From 2004 to 2005, DPH records show, the number of Lyme disease cases statewide jumped by more than 50 percent, from 1,621 to 2,437.
At the county level, the increase was even more dramatic.
In the same year, Middlesex County saw an increase of more than 75 percent, from 257 cases to 454, while Lyme cases in Worcester County jumped just over 70 percent, from 148 to 254. Norfolk County recorded the largest increase, as Lyme cases jumped from 145 to 265, an increase of more than 82 percent.
"We're seeing a ton of Lyme infections," said Tom Treadwell, director of the infectious disease clinic at MetroWest Medical Center. "The infection is here to stay."
The sudden increase in Lyme cases, experts say, can largely be tied to one thing - the region's exploding deer population.
Most cases of Lyme are transmitted through the bite of the deer tick, dozens of which can be found on a single deer.
"The deer population has increased," said Steve Baccari, a sanitarian at the Westborough Board of Health, when asked why Lyme cases are on the rise. "Even in their own backyard, people are susceptible to ticks coming off the deer and latching onto them."
Luckily, Treadwell said, the disease is not often a major health problem.
"Lyme is, usually, fairly benign, and always curable," he said. "Certainly, it can cause misery, but most people, frankly, get better on their own, or with a few days of antibiotics."
Then why the concern about rising Lyme cases?
In some instances, Treadwell said, the disease can lead to debilitating, long-lasting health problems.
"A minority of people with Lyme get arthritis or get facial paralysis," he said. "And a minority of patients get symptoms that last longer. It's always curable, but it's not always trivial."
Although recent numbers suggest the trend may be leveling off - or even decreasing slightly, as statewide numbers show - Rheaume and other health officials say anyone who spends time in wooded areas should be on the lookout for the ticks that spread Lyme disease.
"Some preventative measures are the same as we recommend with mosquito-borne illness," Rheaume said.
Among the measures recommended by the state:
Whenever in the woods, wear insect repellent with DEET.
Wear light-colored long pants that can be tucked into your socks and long-sleeve shirts. The light color makes it easier to spot ticks.
Stay on cleared trails when hiking.
After spending time in an area likely to have ticks, check children and pets for insects.
"It's still somewhat preventable, but I don't think the public awareness is at the level it needs to be," Natick Director of Public Health Roger Wade said. "People usually start thinking about it after they know someone who's come down with it. It's the sort of thing you want people to be aware of and try to avoid because of the complications."
(Peter Reuell can be reached at 508-626-4428, or at [email protected] Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Oh yes. I replied to that already.
Go for it, guys!!
Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
up for reminder for me to possibly write response on sunday and for other letter writers who didn't see it earlier! Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
finally my rebuttal letter i just sent now! whew! ***********************************************
Luckily, Treadwell said, the disease is not often a major health problem.
In some instances, Treadwell said, the disease can lead to debilitating, long-lasting health problems.
"A minority of people with Lyme get arthritis or get facial paralysis," he said. "And a minority of patients get symptoms that last longer. It's always curable, but it's not always trivial."
"Lyme is, usually, fairly benign, and always curable," he said. "Certainly, it can cause misery, but most people, frankly, get better on their own, or with a few days of antibiotics.
Treadwill's last statement is PURE HOGWASH!
Lyme is NOT always curable! Just ask the hundreds of thousands; I bet it's closer to 1 million or MORE with CHRONIC LYME DISEASE which is NOT in remission, and sure isn't cured!
NO lyme patients or those with co-infections get better with just a few days of antibiotics!
We do NOT get better on our own!! It takes long-term antibiotics, supplementals, and other alternatives to get us hopefully into REMISSION! I wish the IDSA, infectious drs., would get their heads out of the sand and deal with reality!
We wouldn't wish this God-awful disease on anyone; but it would be nice for these IDSA doctors to have what we have for 2-6 months.
My how their attitude, understanding, and CHANGING their REVISED 2006 lyme guidelines would be used AGAINST them as they have done to us.
Health insurance companies have denied payments for our lyme disease appointments, treatments, labs, and other misc. things even though many of us pay a high monthly insurance premium to them!
Treadwill, please define MINORITY get long-lasting lyme!
The CDC's lyme disease statistics reported to date show LARGE numbers and they are guessing that only to be 10% of the real number NOT diagnosed and reported to date! ALL 50 STATES HAVE LYME DISEASE REPORTED.
I'm a 38 year CHRONIC LYME patient misdiagnosed for 34 years by 40-50 drs/specialists!
WHY did it take 34 years to diagnose me??
WHY couldn't IDSA, infectious disease drs. have caught it at the beginning?
It's because I had NO RASH, NO VISIBLE TICK BITE OR EMBEDDED TICK, and NO LYME LITERATE MD IN IOWA!!
To date, we have NO FULL-TIME LLMD, lyme literate md in IOWA! We have to travel to other states. For many, it can be thousands of miles! Europeans fly to USA for treatments!
I was initially diagnosed with mononucleosis/EPSTEIN BARR VIRUS when I was 21 in Jan. 1970!
How did I come up with this period oftime? I have kept a journal/diary since age 13. I got terribly sick, was diagnosed, and spent 2 weeks in bed! You don't forget that when you are young!
How did a tick get to me in the dead of winter in Iowa's SUB-ZERO temps?
The tick came OFF my folk's LIVE CHRISTMAS TREE!!
How can ticks get into trees? Deer brush up against them; main carrier are birds who fly up into them, and white-footed mice, squirrels, etc. that crawl up in them.
Ticks crawl off animals onto the branches and wait for their next "meal" ... us!
Recently, Dr. Brian Fallon had a review showing that long-term antibiotics DO make a diference in lyme patience in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Peter, please take the time to get ACCURATE info when you are writing these articles. Talk with ILADS, International Lyme Associated Disease Society HQ for the "other" side of the story!
I highly recommend you print the 33 pages off and read this July 2007 article written by Edie Clark in Yankee Magazine, Trouble in Paradise.
BettyG, IOWA lyme activist
Posted by tailz (Member # 10014) on :
Whatever I have I got from fleas and moquitos. I take issue right there. If people are only trying to remember a tick bite to explain their symptoms, they'll run into the same problems I did.
I also think that areas without any LLMDs are the hardest hit. Most docs in this area will not even consider Lyme Disease, because there is no Lyme Disease in PA. Yep, like I believe that one.
Posted by tdtid (Member # 10276) on :
Yikes....I hate to see uninformed people try to write about a topic they obviously know nothing about. Looks like another letter going to them from this household as well. INSANITY!
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