Ticks: A bad bug bite

[Franky]

By Jennifer Lord/Daily News staff

Milford -
Mike Hakansson didn't notice the tick bite. If the distinctive bull's-eye rash associated with Lyme disease ever developed, he never saw it.

Deer ticks, the primary transfer agent of Lyme disease, are tiny creatures and, in their nymph stage, they're as small as the period at the end of this sentence. It's not surprising that Hakansson didn't notice the tick.
[Related story: Antelope killed in Texas to control ticks]

It was more than a decade, though, before the Milford resident associated what was happening to him with Lyme disease - more than 10 years of equilibrium problems so jarring that looking up at the roof made him nauseous. He suffered from restless leg syndrome, irritable bowels, odd aches and pains and his doctors at one point believed he had fibromyalgia.

"No one had a clue what was going on," Hakansson said. "My doctor put me on antibiotics at one point and, suddenly, I felt better. And when I looked into it some more - it was Lyme."

Lyme disease is the most commonly reported tickborne disease in the United States, accounting for more than 95 percent of all cases of reported tickborne disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Lyme disease is considered endemic in the entire state of Massachusetts, with 2,341 confirmed Lyme cases reported in 2005, a 46 percent increase over 2004 - and both Middlesex and Norfolk counties saw the largest increases.

With the start of warm weather, Lyme disease season is under way, said Dr. Linda Gifford of Franklin Pediatrics, who presented information about the disease last week in a program at Milford Regional Medical Center.

"Nothing sends the parents into a frenzy more than the tick bites," Gifford said. "We get many many calls, sometimes in the middle of the night, from people about Lyme disease."

Frequent checks for ticks are a necessity for all members of the family, including pets, throughout the warmer months. Deer ticks are only able to transmit the disease when they are embedded in the skin and actively sucking blood, making early removal highly important.

"The deer are coming more into our back yards, and that is bringing this disease into our lives," Gifford said.

LYMErix, the only vaccine approved for Lyme disease by the Food and Drug Administration, was removed from the market by its manufacturer in February 2002 due to poor sales.

The first symptom of Lyme disease is usually a rash where the tick was attached, which spreads in a distinctive bull's-eye pattern and appears from three days to a month after the bite. The rash does not appear in all cases and, in some instances, may only last a few hours.

Flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, stiff neck, sore and aching muscles and joints, fatigue and swollen glands are also common in the early stages. Gifford noted that these are often confused with other ailments.

Early medical treatment with antibiotics is key when treating Lyme, Gifford added. Early antibiotics often prevents later problems.

In later stages, Lyme can affect the joints, nervous system and the heart. About 60 percent of people with untreated Lyme get arthritis in their knees, elbows and wrists and about 20 percent may develop nervous system problems.

"If you find a tick, remove it immediately," Gifford said. "It's a straight pull - you don't want to twist. That whole thing with matches is an old wives' tale - just pull it out straight. If the head is still embedded, don't try to dig it out."

If the tick has been embedded for over 36 hours, the doctor should be called. A dose of antibiotics may be recommended.

Hakansson was among several patients with Lyme disease who attended the Milford session. The problems he experienced with his undiagnosed Lyme disease were extremely frustrating, he said.

At one point, Hakansson's daily medication included 200 milligrams of Zoloft, six Percocets, three Valiums, and three muscle relaxers. Now, he just takes a high dose of antibiotics.

"One of the first things that came back to me was my memory, my cognitive functions," Hakansson said. "To me, the risk factor of being off antibiotics and living with Lyme is scary."

Contact reporter Jennifer Lord at 508-626-3880 or jlord@cnc.com.

[Franky]

By Jennifer Lord/Daily News staff

Milford -
Mike Hakansson didn't notice the tick bite. If the distinctive bull's-eye rash associated with Lyme disease ever developed, he never saw it.

Deer ticks, the primary transfer agent of Lyme disease, are tiny creatures and, in their nymph stage, they're as small as the period at the end of this sentence. It's not surprising that Hakansson didn't notice the tick.
[Related story: Antelope killed in Texas to control ticks]

It was more than a decade, though, before the Milford resident associated what was happening to him with Lyme disease - more than 10 years of equilibrium problems so jarring that looking up at the roof made him nauseous. He suffered from restless leg syndrome, irritable bowels, odd aches and pains and his doctors at one point believed he had fibromyalgia.

"No one had a clue what was going on," Hakansson said. "My doctor put me on antibiotics at one point and, suddenly, I felt better. And when I looked into it some more - it was Lyme."

Lyme disease is the most commonly reported tickborne disease in the United States, accounting for more than 95 percent of all cases of reported tickborne disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Lyme disease is considered endemic in the entire state of Massachusetts, with 2,341 confirmed Lyme cases reported in 2005, a 46 percent increase over 2004 - and both Middlesex and Norfolk counties saw the largest increases.

With the start of warm weather, Lyme disease season is under way, said Dr. Linda Gifford of Franklin Pediatrics, who presented information about the disease last week in a program at Milford Regional Medical Center.

"Nothing sends the parents into a frenzy more than the tick bites," Gifford said. "We get many many calls, sometimes in the middle of the night, from people about Lyme disease."

Frequent checks for ticks are a necessity for all members of the family, including pets, throughout the warmer months. Deer ticks are only able to transmit the disease when they are embedded in the skin and actively sucking blood, making early removal highly important.

"The deer are coming more into our back yards, and that is bringing this disease into our lives," Gifford said.

LYMErix, the only vaccine approved for Lyme disease by the Food and Drug Administration, was removed from the market by its manufacturer in February 2002 due to poor sales.

The first symptom of Lyme disease is usually a rash where the tick was attached, which spreads in a distinctive bull's-eye pattern and appears from three days to a month after the bite. The rash does not appear in all cases and, in some instances, may only last a few hours.

Flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, stiff neck, sore and aching muscles and joints, fatigue and swollen glands are also common in the early stages. Gifford noted that these are often confused with other ailments.

Early medical treatment with antibiotics is key when treating Lyme, Gifford added. Early antibiotics often prevents later problems.

In later stages, Lyme can affect the joints, nervous system and the heart. About 60 percent of people with untreated Lyme get arthritis in their knees, elbows and wrists and about 20 percent may develop nervous system problems.

"If you find a tick, remove it immediately," Gifford said. "It's a straight pull - you don't want to twist. That whole thing with matches is an old wives' tale - just pull it out straight. If the head is still embedded, don't try to dig it out."

If the tick has been embedded for over 36 hours, the doctor should be called. A dose of antibiotics may be recommended.

Hakansson was among several patients with Lyme disease who attended the Milford session. The problems he experienced with his undiagnosed Lyme disease were extremely frustrating, he said.

At one point, Hakansson's daily medication included 200 milligrams of Zoloft, six Percocets, three Valiums, and three muscle relaxers. Now, he just takes a high dose of antibiotics.

"One of the first things that came back to me was my memory, my cognitive functions," Hakansson said. "To me, the risk factor of being off antibiotics and living with Lyme is scary."

Contact reporter Jennifer Lord at 508-626-3880 or jlord@cnc.com.