Lyme Disease:

Lyme Disease is a term which refers to at least 20 currently identified species of Borrelia bacteria most commonly transmitted by vector bite. Lyme is called “The Great Imitator,” because its symptoms mimic many other diseases. Lyme takes the form of a spirochete—a corkscrew-shaped bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferi. It can affect any organ of the body, including the brain and nervous system, muscles and joints, and the heart. Patients with Lyme disease are frequently misdiagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, and various psychiatric illnesses, including depression. Misdiagnosis with these other diseases may delay the correct diagnosis and treatment as the underlying infection progresses unchecked.

Lyme disease is found in every one of the United States, with a particularly high incidence in the East, Midwest, and West Coast. Further, Lyme bacteria are found on every continent in the world with exception of Antarctica. During the course of a lifetime, tick or vector bites are quite common. Of most concern are bites by nymph or young tick’s, whose tiny stature and a painless bite allow it to go undetected, and many people don’t know they were even bitten. The longer a nymph or adult tick remains attached to the host the more likely the transmission of bacteria. Besides Lyme, a single tick might also carry multiple infectious microbes including Bartonella, Babesia, and a host of other coinfections.

If complications of Lyme disease are so serious, why haven’t I heard much about it until now? It can be difficult to determine who has a tick-borne illness. Laboratories have varying levels of sensitivity, specificity, and cost. Current estimates show that only 10% of reportable Lyme cases are currently captured by CDC surveillance. Published risk maps can be misleading in showing only the number of infected ticks that researchers have collected in a certain area. The accuracy of such maps is questionable as many states and counties have done little or no testing of ticks in the area as is allowed by current relaxed guidelines

Lyme disease is often referred to as a silent epidemic which continues to be a pervasive health concern with far-reaching consequences. We here at Alec’s Place thank you for taking the time to become informed on this critically ignored public health crisis. The urgency by which it needs attention is best surmised in this heartbreaking excerpt from a quote by Dr. Kenneth Liegner, MD. “In the fullness of time, the mainstream handling of Chronic Lyme Disease, will be viewed as one of the most shameful episodes in the history of medicine…”