[Franky]

By Komal Bawa
Staff Writer (Synapse)

It seems as though nearly everything nowadays has an awareness month, but Lyme disease is a particularly important health concern that does not seem to be well acknowledged. May is designated Lyme Disease Awareness Month because spring is the time of year that ticks lay their eggs and nymphs become active.

However, this is not to say that ticks are not biting all year long. The “Lymies” or those infected with Lyme Disease, are very strong advocates in drawing attention to what they describe as “a plague,” with the hopes that even one less person may suffer from the debilitating disease.

To give a little background — Lyme disease (LD) was first found in Lyme, CT about 1970, but the vector of disease was not established until 1975 when an outbreak of juvenile arthritis was followed by a rash among these residents. It is thought to be carried by many common insects but its transmission has been predominantly linked to deer ticks. The infected ticks transmit the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi via their bite which then resides in various tissues in humans and animals. Common symptoms associated are an expanding rash (Erythema Migrans) resembling a bull's-eye, flu-like symptoms, fibromyalgia, severe fatigue and various CNS symptoms i.e. brain fog. However, LD has symptoms that mimic about 320 other diseases, which is why it very often goes undiagnosed.

The alarming concern surrounding LD is not new; rather it has been a concern for quite some time. Testing methods such as ELISA produce false negatives 50 percent of the time and physicians who are unaware may misdiagnose or more commonly miss it altogether. To date the most efficient test is done by Palo Alto based IGeneX using western blots to see which antibodies a patient may be making. A breakthrough test newly introduced by Central Florida Research Lab is the antigen test to detect the bacterium.

The problem with this disease, like many others now, is that there is no cure. There is only symptomatic relief. On the West Coast the prevalence of LD is still relatively low, but it is spreading. To bring it into perspective an elderly woman was bit on Hippie Hill, the hillside that overlooks the children's playground in Golden Gate Park and is in such poor health that she is unable to walk. Another case was seen in Glen Park when a woman was trimming hedges in her backyard. These local reports show that this is no longer a disease that is just being spread throughout endemic areas, rather it is being reported just about everywhere. The low incidence of reported cases is multidimensional. UC Berkeley entomologist, Robert Lane, made note that only about 18-30 percent of people actually see the tick that bites them. Very often the nymph spreads the disease and it is the size of a poppy seed, and thus not seen. Therefore, if the tick is unseen and the symptoms mimic other diseases, the diagnosis of LD is far down the list if the telltale symptoms are absent.

Essentially all that can be done in a disease like this is prevention. Most of the following recommendations are for outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, etc. but can generally be applied. First off, be aware of your surroundings. Don't walk through tall grass; rather, stay on the trail. Often times the ticks are sitting at the edge of grass blades just waiting. Wear proper attire (boots, socks, hats, long sleeves, pants). Also, apply an insect repellent (with DEET or permethrin) on skin and especially at junction on clothing. If you are bitten, remove the tick with tweezers and make sure that the head is out. Then save the tick (it can be sent off to a lab and analyzed for LD). To be cautious, an antibiotic course may be done soon after the bite to decrease the risk of contracting the disease if the bacteria are present. It is also very important that if you have contracted LD to be seen by a “Lyme literate physician” as they will best be able to work through the disease with you.

Lastly, it is important to not only protect yourself, but your animals as well. Yes, your dogs and cats can also get LD via the same mode of transmission as we do. Keep up with giving your pets their Frontline and Advantix. There was a case that was recently reported about a dog contracting LD around 46th and Taraval. Unfortunately this disease has made its way out to our neck of the woods and all we can do is be aware and cautious.