The Lyme Disease Controversy: Information, Links, and Help

Lyme Disesease is Contracted in ALL States!

I want to stress the seriousness of this disease. According the the International Lyme & Associated Diseases Society (ILADS), Lyme Disease is the fastest growing infectious disease in the country. There is much controversy surrounding the origin, treatment, & testing for the illness. Borrelia burgdorferi, the scientific name for the bacteria, mimmicks other diseases such as Multuple Sclerosis, Lupus, Lou Gehrig's disease, Alzheimer's, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, & Chronic Fatique Syndrome. Symptoms vary. Most individuals experience one or more of the following: incapacitating fatique, joint pain, muscle pain, fever, bullseye rash at tick bite (thought less than 50% get this), odd nerve sensations, cognitive & mood disorders, memory loss, & depression.

If you would like more information, please refer to my personal account of the illness here on Hubpages AND VISIT THE LINKS AT THE END OF THE POLL.

The Center for Disease Control records about 20,000 to 30,000 confirmed Lyme cases per year. Only 10% of the cases that meet their "surveillance case definition" are actually reported. This means that as many as 300,000 or more new infections may occur each year.

The IDSA denies that Lyme bacteria can persist in the body after a short course (1-2 months) of antibiotic therapy.

ILADS doctors (Lyme Literate Medical Doctors) who disagree with short term treatment recommended by the IDSA may become targets of investigations by their state medical board for breaking standard treatment guidelines with the IDSA.

"The IDSA's 2006 Lyme disease guideline panel undercut its credibility by allowing individuals with financial interests -- in drug companies, Lyme disease diagnostic tests, patents and consulting arrangements with insurance companies -- to exclude divergent medical evidence and opinion." As stated by Connecticut Attorney-General Richard Blumenthal said in a 2008 news release.

Eight U.S. states -- Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island -- have passed laws to allow doctors to prescribe long-term antibiotics for the treatment of Lyme disease.

Lyme disease rashes can be mistaken for spider bites or skin infections.

Source:

International Lyme & Associated Diseases Society, PO Box 341461 Bethesda, Maryland 20827-1461

Disclaimer: The foregoing information is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to replace or supersede patient care by a healthcare provider. If an individual suspects the presence of a tick-borne illness, that individual should consult a healthcare provider who is familiar with the diagnosis and treatment of tick-borne diseases.

1. Lyme disease is transmitted by the bite of a tick, and the disease is prevalent across the United States and throughout the world. (No one is immune to it).

2. Lyme disease is a clinical diagnosis. The disease is caused by a spiral-shaped bacteria (spirochete) called Borrelia burgdorferi. (It can infect multiple organs).

3. Less than half of patients with Lyme disease recall a tick bite. (Some studies suggest only 15%).

4. Fewer than 50% of patients with Lyme disease recall any rash. (It is not the most common dermatologic manifestation of early Lyme infection).

5. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) surveillance criteria for Lyme disease were devised to track a narrow band of cases for epidemiologic purposes. (The surveillance criteria were never intended to be used as diagnostic criteria).

6. The ELISA screening test is unreliable. (The test misses 35% of culture proven Lyme disease (only 65% sensitivity) and is unacceptable as the first step of a two-step screening protocol).

7. Of patients with acute culture-proven Lyme disease, 20–30% remain seronegative on serial Western Blot sampling. (The CDC eliminated from the Western Blot analysis the reading of bands 31 and 34 which are highly indicative of Borrelia burgdorferi exposure. Yet these bands are not reported in commercial Lyme tests).

8. When used as part of a diagnostic evaluation for Lyme disease, the Western Blot should be performed by a laboratory that reads and reports all of the bands related to Borrelia burgdorferi. (Laboratories that use FDA approved kits (for instance, the Mardx Marblot®) are restricted from reporting all of the bands, as they must abide by the rules of the manufacturer).

9. There are 5 subspecies of Borrelia burgdorferi, over 100 strains in the US, and 300 strains worldwide.

10. Testing for Babesia, Anaplasma, Ehrlichia and Bartonella (other tick-transmitted organisms) should be performed.

11. A preponderance of evidence indicates that active ongoing spirochetal infection with or without other tick-borne coinfections is the cause of the persistent symptoms in chronic Lyme disease.

12. There has never been a study demonstrating that 30 days of antibiotic treatment cures chronic Lyme disease. (Short treatment courses have resulted in upwards of a 40% relapse rate, especially if treatment is delayed).

13. Most cases of chronic Lyme disease require an extended course of antibiotic therapy to achieve symptomatic relief. (The very real consequences of untreated chronic persistent Lyme infection far outweigh the potential consequences of long-term antibiotic therapy).

14. Many patients with chronic Lyme disease require prolonged treatment until the patient is symptom-free. (There are no tests currently available to prove that the organism is eradicated or that the patient with chronic Lyme disease is cured).

15. Like syphilis in the 19th century, Lyme disease has been called the great imitator.

"Currently there is no reliable test to determine if someone has contracted Lyme disease or is cured of it. False positives and false negatives often occur, though false negatives are far more common. In fact, some studies indicate up to 50% of the patients tested for Lyme disease receive false negative results. "

*ILADS is a nonprofit, international, multidisciplinary medical society, dedicated to the diagnosis and appropriate treatment of Lyme and its associated diseases. ILADS promotes understanding of tick"borne diseases through research and education and strongly supports physicians and other health care professionals dedicated to advancing the standard of care for Lyme and its associated diseases.

Lyme and it's co-infections of babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, bartonella, and Rocky Moutnain Spotted Fever can affect the musculosckeletal system, neurologic system, mental capabilities, psychological well-being, head, face, neck, eyes, vision, ears, digestive & excretory system, respiratory, circulatory system, reproduction, and general well-being of those who have it. In other words, Lyme and co-infections affect the complete central nervous system!

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If Lyme Disease is not properly treated, one may become permanently disabled. Some people may not have a recurrence of the symptoms, but the majority suffer.

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If you have the bulls eye rash, you have Lyme! Even if the test is negative (by CDC standards), a bulls eye rash is the sure indicator of definite infection.

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Some medical researchers believe there is a possibility that Lyme & other tick-borne diseases can be sexually transmitted. There has never been any research to confirm or deny this information.

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In many cases, a person who is suffering from unsuspected Lyme disease is misdiagnosed as having something else other than Lyme.

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There is a theory that Lyme was developed as a biowarfare agent at Plum Island Animal Disease Center, NY in the 1950's.

If you answer yes to any of the questions below, please participate in the Poll below

1) Have you been clinically diagnosed with Lyme disease or had a positive Lyme test?

2) Have you ever had a bulls eye rash at the tick bite?

3) Do you have a friend or loved one who has Lyme disease?

NOTE: Your responses are anonymous. If you aren't sure where your loved one or friend contracted the disease, put the state where you think they contracted the disease. Or call them, if it's important to you. States are listed alphabetically.

My reason for posting the poll ABOVE is for research purposes. I strongly believe that there are many, many more individuals with this disease. The Infectious Diseases Society (IDSA) says that Lyme is limited to the Northeastern part of the U.S. This is incorrect data, mainly due to the botched reporting methods that the Center for Disease Control (CDC), together with the IDSA, have created. That is a story in itself.