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The data and information presented in this web site are presented in good faith and believed to be accurate. Any and all liability for the content or any omissions including any inaccuracies, errors, or misstatements in such data or information is expressly disclaimed. The web site is compiled for the sole purpose of informing community members of resources and information pertaining to Lyme Borreliosis Disease and its coinfections.
The Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation, Directors and members are not liable for any direct or indirect damages or any damages whatsoever resulting from loss of use, data or profits, whether in an action of contract, negligence or other tortious action arising out of or in connection with the use or performance of information available from this website.
Consult a qualified Lyme ( Borreliosis ) Disease literate doctor for medical advice if Lyme Disease is suspect.
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The Season of the Tick
Lyme disease is nothing to fool with, but it's easily prevented.
Here's how
By DR. SANJAY GUPTA
Monday, Jul. 12, 2004
Summer is prime time for Lyme disease, and this summer could be a bad
one. The number of cases doubled from 2001 to 2002, according to the
latest figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), mostly as a result of continued human infiltration of Mother
Nature's turf. Carried by a parasitic tick on mice, deer and
household pets, the disease has spread to 43 of the 48 contiguous
states — although 12 states in the Northeast and northern Midwest
still account for 95% of reported cases. (Reported cases, however,
may represent only a tenth of the total number of cases, according to
the CDC.)
Lyme disease is nothing to fool around with, especially for those in
the groups at highest risk — children ages 5 to 14 and adults ages 50
to 59. Caused by a spirochete bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferi
that is transmitted via the bite of the so-called deer tick, the
disease is usually accompanied by an expanding bull's-eye rash (at
least 2 in. in diameter) at the site of the bite. Secondary symptoms
may include muscle pain, headache and swollen glands. Left untreated,
the bacterium can lodge in various body tissues (where blood tests
may not detect it) and cause fever, sore throat, severe fatigue,
joint pain, tingling or numbness in the extremities and changes in
vision. In late stages, the disease can lead to arthritis,
meningitis, facial drooping, numbness in the hands and feet, and
neurological disorders that can include short-term memory loss,
inability to concentrate or finish sentences, disorientation and
confusion.
The good news, according to Erin Staples of the CDC, is that Lyme
disease is almost always readily cured if diagnosed early and treated
with a short course of antibiotics (doxycycline, amoxicillin and
Ceftin are most often recommended). Infection doesn't usually occur
until the tick has been attached to your body for 36 hours. So if you
are going into the woods this summer, wear shoes, socks and light-
colored clothing; spray your clothes and skin with an insect
repellent that contains DEET; stay on cleared, well-traveled trails;
avoid moist, shady areas covered with leaf litter or low-lying
vegetation; don't sit on the ground or on stone walls; keep long hair
under a cap or tied back; and do a full-body tick check at the end of
the day.
That said, it's also important to keep Lyme disease in perspective.
There's no need to panic. If you take the right precautions, you
should be able to stop worrying and enjoy your summer.
Sanjay Gupta is a neurosurgeon and CNN medical correspondent
— With reporting by Stephanie Smith/New York
From the Jul. 12, 2004 issue of TIME magazine
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