tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14295969041400732162024-02-20T20:03:52.241-08:00Tick-Borne Disease Blog Georgia Lyme Disease Association"Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain." - Wizard of OzGeorgia Lyme Disease Associationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11937264029476704387noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429596904140073216.post-78066410450028188662014-08-02T10:52:00.000-07:002014-08-02T18:09:37.364-07:00Misleading Study Cannot Disprove Link between Lyme Borreliosis and Alzheimer's disease <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN3ZmGFP4Gfo-r74IQOx3mFPJxr2t9DDxSZr_1bO2G6oo_GojINjONvQBv8tGFcgXMCdf_LMFfDE-L9xXUP1tkMudUO_h9AdInBJmoyCaGgILytkKiDwpgkGLzpFWHRchm8qASl5Ok7S0/s1600/brain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN3ZmGFP4Gfo-r74IQOx3mFPJxr2t9DDxSZr_1bO2G6oo_GojINjONvQBv8tGFcgXMCdf_LMFfDE-L9xXUP1tkMudUO_h9AdInBJmoyCaGgILytkKiDwpgkGLzpFWHRchm8qASl5Ok7S0/s1600/brain.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">As reported earlier this week*, a retired professor and a PhD graduate student from the
University of Toronto Mississauga claim that they have disproved the theory
that Lyme disease causes Alzheimer's disease. But, exactly how did they disprove a link? Did they test a large number
of Alzheimer's patients for <i>Borrelia
burgdorferi</i> antibodies using several assays? <i>No</i>. Did they employ an expert pathologist - one highly-skilled
and experienced in the tedious process of identifying Borrelia spirochetes - to
perform extensive autopsies on a large number of deceased Alzheimer's
patients? <i>Negative.</i> Did they track a
large number of Lyme disease patients for decades to see whether any of them
developed symptoms of Alzheimer's disease?
<i>Nope.</i> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The researchers say they used "statistical
analysis" to disprove an Alzheimer's-Lyme link. By noting where the reported cases of Lyme
disease occur vs. where people with Alzheimer's disease are found, they say
they’ve ruled out the possibility that Lyme disease may cause Alzheimer’s
disease. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Well, their theory may have actually held weight <i>except</i> in
the case of controversial Lyme disease, where, sadly, <i>it’s not so simple</i>. The researchers
seem to have made several assumptions without an investigation of the caveats and actual facts. These facts may blow their “There is no
Lyme-Alzheimer link” conclusion right out of the water. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">At GALDA, we thought of four important reasons that an
Alzheimer’s-Lyme disease link cannot be ruled out using geographical disease statistics. Maybe you can think of more.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">1. <b>Reporting practices are not the same.</b> The authors of the paper apparently didn't
actually check, but used the assumption that all states/regions use the same Lyme
disease reporting practices. They don’t,
and they haven’t for decades. There are potentially thousands of Lyme disease cases that are never reported in states outside the
northeastern USA simply because those states use completely different reporting
practices. There is<i> no way </i>to compare Lyme disease statistics when rashes alone
are reported as cases in the northeastern USA and rashes alone are<i> not </i>reported
as cases elsewhere. (Note: It’s
estimated that cases involving rashes alone <i>without evidence of tick bite or
positive test results </i>make up 70% of cases reported in so-called “Lyme endemic states". Thousands and thousands of cases of rashes following
tick bites (many even with serological evidence suggestive of LD) go unreported in so-called “nonendemic areas" because rashes alone
do not qualify to be reported as cases in these regions.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">2. <b>Federal funding to
track Lyme disease is awarded in a biased way.</b> Adding
to reporting practice problems, most state health departments have not been
provided federal funding to actually track Lyme disease cases, a very
expensive, labor-intensive task. The
states awarded funding to track the disease become the states where reported Lyme
disease incidence rates are high. (Duh!) How
many actual cases would all states show if they were also awarded federal
funding and were allowed to use the exact same criteria to report a
case? Statistics cannot be compared when only a few states have money to actively track Lyme disease.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">3. <b> North American Lyme
tests are not designed to detect infection caused by various Lyme bacterial
species.</b> Lyme disease statistics may not
reflect the hundreds to hundreds of thousands of patients who are infected with
other Lyme disease bacterial species each year. There is so much that is unknown, but with more and more newly-identified strains of
Lyme bacteria being discovered in various tick species, animals and <i>symptomatic
humans</i> in America and around the world, the probability that there are a vast
number of undetected Lyme Borreliosis cases caused by bacterial species other
than <i>Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto</i>
is great. While European Lyme tests
include three species of Lyme Borrelia to increase their reliability, clinical Lyme disease tests currently
used in North America are only geared to detect a <i>single </i>strain of <i>one</i>
species of <i>Borrelia burgdorferi</i> (Bb). This is preposterous. In
the southeastern USA alone, there are at least six <i>species</i> of Lyme bacteria documented (and potentially hundreds to
thousands of strains of each species) but U.S. clinical tests only look for <i>one</i>. Thus, there’s no telling how many suffering people in North
America may actually be infected with some form of Lyme Borreliosis. Using better tests designed to detect more Borrelia strains, we may discover that Lyme disease is actually extremely prevalent in regions where it is now currently considered “rare.” Here again, trying to geographically compare Alzheimer's disease and Lyme Borreliosis case numbers is impossible. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">4. <b>Unproven myths greatly affect statistics.</b> Myths
and misconceptions such as, <i>Lyme disease doesn't occur in this region,</i> prevent cases from being recognized, diagnosed, treated and <i>reported </i>by medical providers. As an example, the State of Georgia provided
funding for free Lyme testing in 1989 and actually encouraged physicians to
look for the disease. Subsequently,
Georgia reported 715 Lyme disease cases to the CDC that year, the fourth
highest state in the nation. But, with
no money to track future cases and a new widespread but unproven myth circulating that
erythema migrans (EM) rash and Lyme disease symptoms in tick bite patients in the
southern USA "is not Lyme disease,” but is caused instead by some “unknown" entity, </span><span style="font-size: large;">Georgia case numbers plummeted.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">( As o</span><span style="font-size: large;">fficials began to actively discourage medical providers from looking for Lyme disease in the South, </span><span style="font-size: large;">most southern states thereafter did not use the national reporting
case definition - despite published evidence showing Missouri lone star tick bite
EM patients tested positive for Lyme disease by the CDC and Borrelia
spirochetes were silver-stained and documented under the microscope in some of
these cases.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Though for decades,
thousands of southern tick bite patients have developed a rash, Lyme symptoms
and tested positive for Lyme disease, myths - including the circular reasoning,
<i>We don’t have Lyme disease here so we can’t have Lyme disease here,</i> and, <i>Positive
test results outside “endemic areas” are only false positives </i>- continue to prevent the diagnosis and treatment of suffering patients. Misconceptions such as these greatly
contribute to the under-reporting of Lyme disease in entire regions.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">In conclusion, a statistical analysis of reported case
numbers may be a good method of extracting and comparing important data in many instances,
but in the world of Lyme disease, it’s nearly pointless. Clearly, the researchers thought they might
produce valid evidence. Unfortunately, they didn't investigate thoroughly enough. Considering the many problems, an accurate geographical comparison
of Lyme disease statistics with other diseases, including Alzheimer's, cannot possibly be made at this time. </span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10pt;">*UTM study disproves
theory that Lyme disease causes Alzheimer's, </span></i>The Brampton Guardian,
July 31, 2014 <i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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http://www.bramptonguardian.com/news-story/4730551-utm-study-disproves-theory-that-lyme-disease-causes-alzheimer-s/</div>
Georgia Lyme Disease Associationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11937264029476704387noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429596904140073216.post-77411356090715590762014-07-24T15:06:00.001-07:002014-07-24T16:56:17.637-07:00Misinformed Medical Providers Lead to Misinformed Public<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="text-align: left;">At GALDA, we don't like to bash medical providers but there is so much potentially harmful,
misleading information in the article, </span><i style="text-align: left;">Monitor
Board of Contributors: Know your biting bugs (and how to protect from them)! </i><span style="text-align: left;">published online this week by the Concord Monitor, we feel compelled to warn the public.
It's quite troubling that the article, full of inaccuracies, was written by a pediatrician and president
of Concord Pediatrics.</span></div>
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The article is linked here: <a href="http://www.concordmonitor.com/home/12852697-95/monitor-board-of-contributors-know-your-biting-bugs-and-how-to-protect-from-them" target="_blank"> http://www.concordmonitor.com/home/12852697-95/monitor-board-of-contributors-know-your-biting-bugs-and-how-to-protect-from-them</a></div>
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In the piece, Dr. Patricia Edwards advises readers not to
worry about wood ticks or dog ticks claiming these are "only
annoying." It's hard to imagine that this physician has never heard of the potentially fatal Spotted
Fever Rickettsiosis and the other serious diseases spread by different tick species (including the "dog ticks" she mentions). Isn't she aware that tick-borne
disease science is constantly evolving and that an alarming number of pathogens
have been discovered in ticks in recent decades? In fact, even <i>Borrelia
burgdorferi</i> (Bb) - the organism that causes Lyme disease – has been
documented in other tick species including dog ticks and lone star ticks. Research
shows that the transmission of Lyme disease appears to depend upon the
host, meaning we cannot rule out transmission to humans by other tick species. People should never be advised to be dismissive about a
tick bite due to the type of tick removed. </div>
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Next, Dr. Edwards should know, <i>Ixodes
scapularis</i> ("deer ticks") do not get big enough to see
"within hours." Typically, engorgement happens rather gradually as they feed over<i> several</i> days.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicT2v_7ydbUz1pbjUHKUXwB_2BWoiBlHlsEfyX4eEgSszG-jKOBLPFL3xLdi0uAkaXaFmwsF3Lv00nUNdEaQp5QvxwC_MWXSDNOyv-2DtwX4Yqobgpt4ANELnthW9_9hXO1VZ-dnmbJ9M/s1600/tick+bugnet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicT2v_7ydbUz1pbjUHKUXwB_2BWoiBlHlsEfyX4eEgSszG-jKOBLPFL3xLdi0uAkaXaFmwsF3Lv00nUNdEaQp5QvxwC_MWXSDNOyv-2DtwX4Yqobgpt4ANELnthW9_9hXO1VZ-dnmbJ9M/s1600/tick+bugnet.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> -courtesy Bugguide.net</span></div>
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The doctor also writes that a tick must be attached for at
least 36 hours to transmit Lyme disease (LD). Though this is often touted by many, it's not necessarily true, as demonstrated in studies published long ago. Some studies suggested that ticks may sometimes transmit LD in less than 12 hours. In addition, some tick-borne diseases, such as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF), are known to be transmitted in only a few hours. RMSF and other tick-borne infections may prove
quickly fatal. </div>
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Readers must be advised
to seek immediate medical attention should symptoms develop following <i>any </i>tick
bite, no matter how long the tick may have been attached. Medical providers must remember these other diseases may be transmitted more quickly and by various species of ticks. Early diagnosis and treatment can mean the difference between life and death.</div>
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Dr. Edwards advises removing a tick with your fingers. <i><b>NEVER,
EVER</b></i> do this. (Proper tick removal instructions appear at the bottom of this article.)</div>
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Ticks may have infectious
secretions that shouldn't be touched with bare hands. In fact, <i>Borrelia burgdorferi</i> has been documented
in tick saliva and, more recently, in tick excrement. See article linked here:</div>
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<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22651382" target="_blank">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22651382</a></div>
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Dr. Edwards mentioned prophylactic treatment after a tick
bite, but be careful. A one or two dose Doxycycline regimen is often recommended by the IDSA as a "prophylactic
treatment" to prevent Lyme disease, <i>however,</i> <b style="font-style: italic;">this treatment has not been
proven to be effective and is highly controversial. </b>This<b style="font-style: italic;"> </b>may prevent a rash from forming, but may not stop
the actual infection. Plus, a recent CDC study
proved that trying to prevent Lyme disease by taking 1-2 Doxycycline doses is a really bad idea. Here's the link:</div>
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<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22421585" target="_blank">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22421585</a></div>
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(As an aside, another serious concern about the 1-2 dose Doxycycline regimen is that taking too little of an
antibiotic during the early stages of infection may stop antibodies from
forming against the Lyme bacteria, thereby causing a person to test negative by
antibody test, even if they are still infected. This may create a diagnostic nightmare! This phenomenon
has been documented in early syphilis as well as in early Borreliosis
cases.) </div>
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Finally, Dr. Edwards writes that "prolonged treatment
with antibiotics is not indicated and can often be dangerous.” She fails to mention that one clinical trial clearly showed patients improved when they were treated with longer courses of antibiotics. She doesn't share that there is no study that has ever proved that a few weeks of antibiotics cures Lyme disease. She doesn't note that many infectious diseases (including Tuberculosis and Lyme's
spirochetal cousin Syphilis) often require longer courses of antibiotic treatment nor that acne patients are treated with Doxycycline for months to years, with few problems. </div>
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The article doesn't compare the true risks: the danger of longer antibiotic therapy vs. the danger of allowing
a serious infectious disease to destroy a human body, a human life. Dr. Edwards fails to disclose that scientists and medical providers are at odds about the treatment of Lyme disease and that thousands of Lyme patients (and their physicians) report that they have greatly improved with much longer courses of antibiotics instead of the short courses currently recommended by the IDSA. (The three "longer treatment" clinical trials, by the way, did not examine treatment that lasted very long. Some patients report it takes many months to even years before they really get better. New clinical trials need to examine more lengthy treatment in Lyme disease, especially since it's accepted that other diseases may require such treatment.) </div>
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Again, the science is emerging. Treatment is a very controversial subject. This, at least, should have been highlighted by the writer.</div>
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<o:p> *****</o:p></div>
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<o:p>In the past several decades, many new pathogens have been identified in ticks, animals and humans. Scientifically and medically as a whole, we probably don't know half of what we need to know about ticks and the organisms they carry. But, even though tick-borne disease science is evolving, medical providers must diligently keep up with all of the latest information. Authoritative doctors risk harming their patients and the public if they are so grossly misinformed.</o:p></div>
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GALDA implores medical professionals: Because so many people are exposed to tick bites regularly and we're learning these arachnids can carry some really nasty bugs, we urge you to educate yourself on an ongoing basis about ticks and the diseases they carry. It's important to read <i>all</i> of the science, not just that cherry-picked by IDSA and CDC. (It's surprising to see the amount of contradicting published literature available that is routinely ignored.) Don't just visit your old "standby" websites, but sites like the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society, as well (www.ILADS.org). And investigate for yourself, here's a link to several great Lyme disease medical literature bibliographies to help you get started. </div>
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<a href="http://www.lymeinfo.net/lymefiles.html" target="_blank">http://www.lymeinfo.net/lymefiles.html</a></div>
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But please, for the sake of your patients, <i>learn all that you can.</i> Your patients need and deserve a super-educated <i>YOU.</i></div>
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*****</div>
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Proper tick removal: DO
NOT TOUCH TICKS WITH BARE FINGERS. And,
try not to leave the head in. Both
before and after their use, sterilize fine-nosed tweezers to remove an attached
tick. Grasp the tick with the tweezers as close to the skin as possible. Then, pull straight out. Avoid touching the tick’s body, especially avoid crushing it during removal. Never
twist, turn, burn or apply substances to the tick - these things may cause the
tick to regurgitate its stomach contents (Lyme bacteria, etc.) into your skin. <b><i>Watch for any signs and symptoms following any tick bite and seek immediate medical care should symptoms develop. </i></b></div>
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For more information, visit Georgia Lyme Disease Association's Prevention web page: </div>
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<a href="http://georgialymedisease.org/prevention">http://georgialymedisease.org/prevention</a></div>
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Georgia Lyme Disease Associationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11937264029476704387noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429596904140073216.post-16224946616811529182014-07-09T15:24:00.001-07:002014-07-09T15:24:22.940-07:00Lyme Disease Tests: How reliable is the C6 ELISA?<div>
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<i>What's in your wallet?</i> </h4>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">It's a catchy line from Capital One's popular advertising campaign. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">But, instead of inquiring about his wallet, you may seriously want to ask your doctor,</span></h4>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Lyme disease test kit?"</span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i> - NIH</i></span></div>
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Recent news articles have described the C6 ELISA as a preferable Lyme disease test. It's still recommended by some at the IDSA as a possible one-step test to detect Lyme disease in humans. It's suggested by others as a "sensitive" screening tool, to be ordered prior to a western blot. In addition, a C6 SNAP test is used by many veterinarians to test dogs and other animals for Lyme Borreliosis. But, is the C6 actually reliable? </div>
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After reviewing the published literature, GALDA gives the C6 a big...</div>
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<b>Why? Just keep reading...</b></div>
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In 2011, the National Institutes of Health's Dr. Peter Burbelo and his colleagues wrote:</div>
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<i>Recently, the C6 SNAP test has been used for the serological diagnosis of equine Lyme disease. Unfortunately, Chang and colleagues found that the C6 SNAP test detected only 63% of known, experimentally B. burgdorferi-infected horses, suggesting that this test is suboptimal for the diagnosis of equine infection. In light of the poor sensitivity of the currently available C6 SNAP test, a better understanding of humoral responses in B. burgdorferi-infected horses is needed.</i>(1)</div>
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<i>A previous study using the SNAP C6 test with experimental animals showed 65% sensitivity in detecting B. burgdorferi-infected horses and ponies and matched quite well with our C6-based VOVO test showing 72% sensitivity.</i> (1)</div>
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Another study revealing the insensitivity of the C6 was published in 2012. Lyme-infected monkeys with confirmed evidence of persistent infection were tested over time using the C6 ELISA. The test missed the disease in 50% of the animals. (2) </div>
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Worse still, this is nothing new. Dr. Ed Masters explored using the C6 ELISA years ago to test his human Missouri Lyme disease patients. The C6 only detected 7/91 cases, with an additional 6 that were "probable positives." </div>
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<i>78/91 tested below 1 SD (negative) suggesting the agent or agents of Masters' Disease</i> (Lyme disease transmitted by lone star ticks) <i>may not express C6 epitopes.</i> (3)</div>
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Other studies describe the unreliability of the C6 ELISA, as well.</div>
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<b>Okay, let's think this through: </b> </div>
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- Positive cases of Lyme disease detected in dogs using the SNAP C6 ELISA are reported on the IDEXX "Dogs and Ticks.com" website. There are some cases but not a huge percentage reported from the southern USA. </div>
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- Chang's work showed that the C6 missed 37% of the horses infected, Embers' work showed the C6 missed 50% of monkeys with persistent infection. And this was in trying to detect <i>one</i> Lyme bacterial species, <i>Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (</i>Bbss<i>). But the C6 is still used quite often in vets' offices to test dogs.</i></div>
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- In the southern USA, there are several other Lyme Borrelia species and strains, not only Bbss, and these may express different determinants that the C6 ELISA doesn't pick up (as suggested by Masters' research). Some of the other Lyme Borrelia species found here, including <i>Borrelia bissettii, Borrelia andersonii and Borrelia americana, </i>have been identified in symptomatic patients in recent years. </div>
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- The C6 only detected 7 out of 91 (8%) Missouri Lyme disease cases -<i> cases most likely vectored by the lone star tick since "deer ticks" were said to be rare to nonexistent in Missouri at that time.</i> As Dr. Ed Masters noted in another paper, the whole cell sonicated ELISA detected the greatest number of Lyme cases among his patients, though it was still far from foolproof.</div>
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<b>What does it all mean?</b></div>
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So, do the reported cases on the DogsandTicks.com map only represent about 8% of the southern dogs actually infected with various forms of Lyme Borreliosis? How many dogs in the southern USA - where the aggressive lone star tick is so prevalent - are truly infected with some undetected strain(s) of Lyme Borrelia?</div>
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<i>Most</i> importantly, what about <i>people</i> infected with other Lyme Borrelia species and strains that the C6 and other Lyme disease tests are not designed to detect?</div>
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<b>Buyer beware</b>: there is still no test that can rule out Lyme disease. While the test might be useful sometimes, negative results obtained by using the C6 ELISA cannot be trusted. This may be particularly true in areas where the lone star tick is prevalent and/or so many other species and strains of Lyme Borrelia are known to exist.</div>
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So, really...ask your doctors...<i><b>What's in your laboratory's Lyme disease test kit? </b></i>Is it a C6 ELISA, a FLA-based ELISA, a whole cell sonicated ELISA? Do you know what studies show about the sensitivity of each one? And what do they show about the reliability of western blots and PCR used in testing for Lyme disease? Because, <i>all </i>of this should matter to doctors who truly care about their patients, especially when so many people may be suffering from an undiagnosed, treatable bacterial infection.</div>
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<b>References:</b></div>
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1. Burbelo, P., et al. 2011. Antibody Profiling of Borrelia burgdorferi Infection in Horses. Clin Vaccine Immunol. 18(9): 1562–1567. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3165210/</div>
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2. Embers, M., et al. 2012. Persistence of<i> Borrelia burgdorferi </i>in Rhesus Macaques following Antibiotic Treatment of Disseminated Infection. <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.506250381469727px;">PLoS ONE 7(1): e29914.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.506250381469727px;"> </span></div>
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http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0029914</div>
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3. Masters, E and Phillip, M. C6 Lyme Peptide ELISA Serosurvey of Missouri Patients. Supplement, Lyme Disease Resource Center, Page 23. https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxzb3V0aGVybnRpY2tib3JuZWRpc2Vhc2VkYXRhfGd4OjQ4ZmIzNGNiOWI2NmViOGE</div>
Georgia Lyme Disease Associationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11937264029476704387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429596904140073216.post-50100860430037324942014-05-02T16:10:00.000-07:002014-08-02T17:57:18.003-07:00Spreading Awareness in a Big Way<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp6BtNcXpVf8Vwuo_YhLZpcZRqKiEs84WugG23OxwAeNMa95GqdXcpRP_FDagtTGX6dt3EJySA8og9SqrrvHikbexEaHQHUQFTiMW1HjoYPCy5reM-8Y7x_LLblnEox8AS7BWQ2gIIzdI/s1600/Version+2+billboard+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp6BtNcXpVf8Vwuo_YhLZpcZRqKiEs84WugG23OxwAeNMa95GqdXcpRP_FDagtTGX6dt3EJySA8og9SqrrvHikbexEaHQHUQFTiMW1HjoYPCy5reM-8Y7x_LLblnEox8AS7BWQ2gIIzdI/s1600/Version+2+billboard+-+Copy.jpg" height="170" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Georgia Lyme Disease Association</span></span></h2>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><span style="font-size: large;"> (GALDA) Launches New 2014 </span></span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Metro Atlanta Billboard Campaign. </span></span></h2>
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<b> Geographically, it's the largest Lyme Disease Prevention Billboard Campaign <i>in the world,</i> reaching millions of people.</b></div>
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<em><span style="font-size: xx-small;">May 2, 2014, </span></em><br />
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Atlanta's metropolitan area is the ninth largest in the country, boasting a
population of 5,457,831. GALDA's 2013 metro Atlanta billboard campaign was so
successful, we thought we'd do it again, thanks to our partners at CBS Outdoor
who truly care about the health of Georgia citizens.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBMxJB7tGjSL9gz0BtZBIHugTZhLb-96ka8Yc_49oIK4FMz_6wca9eVisMXpRGaC3LlNn3ynmHYEVDrGnvy4ZnawI7sUnM8WfeFPTH0sOvaQuXDiiCdjtuhGloe9hSHBVrBn_sTXL1oG8/s1600/GALDA+Atlanta+Billboards+5.2014..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBMxJB7tGjSL9gz0BtZBIHugTZhLb-96ka8Yc_49oIK4FMz_6wca9eVisMXpRGaC3LlNn3ynmHYEVDrGnvy4ZnawI7sUnM8WfeFPTH0sOvaQuXDiiCdjtuhGloe9hSHBVrBn_sTXL1oG8/s1600/GALDA+Atlanta+Billboards+5.2014..jpg" height="130" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here's a shot of just one of several Georgia Lyme Disease Association billboards and digital posters that will run from April 28 - June 1 in various locations in and around metro Atlanta. During Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Awareness Month, we hope to raise awareness about tick-borne diseases across the southeastern USA.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiezf0Qq8ZH2Pk3o-Pq4rNDVII4S-JQhWXI_86I4W3mvxsUsrWvLoIsu0aYXg7pVV09I7P1eVthyphenhyphenikRul4ZPu213E1Ym5cxt53bNWDcqK8PyqaKS6KaNiMNBAZs5hhZX7U1xWawM8wUNbg/s1600/ws+GALDA+CBS+Outdoor+2014+Bb+campaign+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiezf0Qq8ZH2Pk3o-Pq4rNDVII4S-JQhWXI_86I4W3mvxsUsrWvLoIsu0aYXg7pVV09I7P1eVthyphenhyphenikRul4ZPu213E1Ym5cxt53bNWDcqK8PyqaKS6KaNiMNBAZs5hhZX7U1xWawM8wUNbg/s1600/ws+GALDA+CBS+Outdoor+2014+Bb+campaign+2.jpg" height="250" width="400" /></a></div>
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GALDA's ads will
also appear all month on the CBS Outdoor Rail Network - the in-car televisions
of the Metro Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) which have the ability to
reach a captive audience of 5.8 million riders every month!</div>
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Here's a short version of GALDA's new ad that MARTA riders will see:</div>
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At GALDA and CBS
Outdoor, we mean<em> business</em> when we say that we want
<em>all </em>citizens to learn to protect themselves from ticks and the diseases
they can carry. Let us know how many of our ads around metro Atlanta you spot
this month, Georgia!</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Our
sincere gratitude goes to CBS Outdoor for partnering with GALDA again this year
to promote awareness about tick-borne diseases and their prevention. Special
thanks to our clever, hard-working account representative Richard Wallace and to
the CBS Outdoor Creative Team headed up by Southeast Hub Creative Director Eddy
Herty. Mwah!</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45}">One of
GALDA's 2013 Atlanta billboards</span> </span></div>
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<br />Georgia Lyme Disease Associationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11937264029476704387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429596904140073216.post-50092809144272898532014-05-01T11:29:00.001-07:002014-07-10T00:05:47.524-07:00Georgia Governor Nathan Deal Declares May 2014 “Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Awareness Month.” <h4 style="text-align: center;">
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<b> </b><b>Again at the request of Georgia Lyme Disease Association</b></h4>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><i><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: xx-small;">May 1, 2014</span></i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><i><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: xx-small;">copyright Georgia Lyme Disease Association</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">For the fifth consecutive
year at Georgia Lyme Disease Association’s request, our Georgia governor has
issued a statewide proclamation deeming May, </span><i><b>Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease
Awareness Month. </b></i><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">People living in the
southeastern United States encounter ticks so frequently, GALDA again thanks
Governor Nathan Deal for his concern about protecting the health of our
citizens through the promotion of educational and preventative measures.</span><br />
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<span style="background: white;">Working with GALDA, Georgia
was the first state in the southeastern USA to issue a statewide awareness
proclamation in 2010. GALDA board
members have since consulted with patient advocacy organizations in surrounding
states, and other states have now issued Lyme Disease Awareness Month proclamations
including Alabama (2013 and 2014), and new for 2014, Kentucky, Tennessee, North
Carolina and Florida. We’re encouraged to
see states taking such a proactive stance to try to prevent tick-borne
illnesses in our citizens.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">Georgia Governor Nathan Deal
and Georgia Lyme Disease Association urge citizens to become educated about
ticks, the diseases they may carry, and ways to prevent tick bites. We encourage people to learn how to remove a
tick properly, since improper removal and/or touching a tick with bare fingers
may actually result in disease transmission in some cases. The public should become familiar with the signs
and symptoms of tick-borne illnesses and seek immediate medical help should symptoms
develop.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">Ticks in the southeastern USA
may transmit one or more of several pathogens including:</span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">Lyme disease-causing bacteria - <i>Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto</i>, possibly <i>Borrelia andersonii, Borrelia americana </i>and <i>Borrelia bissettii</i> as newer research suggests. Other Lyme <i>Borrelia</i> species may also produce disease in humans, more studies
are needed. At least six different Lyme <i>Borrelia
</i>species have been identified in the southeastern USA, more than in any
other region of the country. Current Lyme
disease testing criteria are only geared to detect a <i>single strain</i> of <b><i>one</i></b> Lyme <i>Borrelia</i> species, so many cases may be missed by available tests. Of Note: Restrictive southern reporting
practices (quite different than those used to report cases in the Northeastern
USA) have prevented the reporting of thousands of southern Lyme disease cases
for decades, making it appear as if Lyme disease is not a problem in this
region. Thousands of patients and many
doctors can attest that Lyme disease is a significant problem in our area. </span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">Relapsing Fever <i>Borrelia</i>
– <i>Borrelia turicatae</i>. In addition, the newly-identified relapsing
fever organism <i>Borrelia miyamotoi</i> has
been documented in wild turkeys from Tennessee.
Human studies in the SE USA are needed.
No commercial test is available
yet for B. miyamotoi.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><i style="color: black;"><span style="color: #333333;">Babesia microti, Babesia duncani</span></i>, and other <i>Babesia</i> species – cause of Babesiosis. Babesia microti is the only one most doctors in the South will test for, however, research suggests other Babesia species- which may require additional testing to detect - are present.</span></div>
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<i><span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">Ehrlichia </span></i><span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">– including <i>Ehrlichia chafeensis, Ehrlicha ewingii</i> –
cause of Ehrlichiosis. May produce very serious, acute symptoms and even lead to death in just a short period of time. If suspected, many doctors will just go ahead and prescribe doxycyline because taking a "wait and see" approach can be so dangerous.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">Anaplasma
phagocytophilum</span></i><span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"> – causes Anaplasmosis, this was previously called human granulocytic ehrlichiosis. </span><br />
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<i><span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">Coxiella burnettii</span></i><span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"> – causes
Q-Fever. Cases have been reported in
Georgia and Tennessee, though tick bites are not believed to be the major
source for most cases of this disease. </span></div>
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<i><span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">Bartonella </span></i><span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">– causes Bartonellosis;
<i>Bartonella henselae</i> is most commonly
known though there are many species. May
be transmitted by other vectors, but in recent years, ticks have also been
implicated. Other <i>Bartonella </i>species have also been found infecting humans. See Dr. Ed Breitschwerdt’s work at North
Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">Rickettsia </span></i><span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">– causes what
is now termed, Spotted Fever Rickettsiosis, previously called, Rocky Mountain
Spotted Fever before other <i>Rickettsia </i>species
were known to infect humans. <i>Rickettsia
rickettsii</i> (causes Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever -RMSF); <i>Rickettsia parkeri</i> and <i>Rickettsia
amblyommii</i> may also infect humans and be cross-reactive in testing, causing
a positive RMSF test.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">Francisella tularensis</span></i><span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"> – causes Tularemia, generally rare. May be contracted through other vectors and means. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">Tick-borne Viruses?
New Heartland Virus and Phlebovirus have been identified in lone star
ticks from other regions in recently.
Lone star ticks, <i>Amblyomma
americanum</i>, are the tick species most commonly found biting humans in the
southeastern USA as well as in many other states, including Virginia. More studies need to be performed in this
region to determine the prevalence of these and other tick-borne
disease-causing organisms in humans.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">Tick Paralysis: Not a
disease, but a very serious condition or affliction.</span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">See GALDA’s webpage, <a href="http://georgialymedisease.org/other_tick-borne_diseases" target="_blank">Other Tick-Borne Diseases</a> for more detailed information. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><b>REMEMBER: <i>Preventing
</i>tick bites is the key! </b></span><b style="color: #333333;">Please perform tick checks <i>regularly!</i> </b></div>
Georgia Lyme Disease Associationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11937264029476704387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429596904140073216.post-77476372792432467462014-04-04T14:25:00.000-07:002014-04-04T14:37:04.852-07:00Antibiotic Treatment of Arthritis:<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><i style="line-height: 34.5px;">The Road Back and </i></span></b><b><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><i>MIRA Therapy</i> </span></span></b></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">© Liz Schmitz, Georgia Lyme Disease Association, 4.4.14 <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><a href="http://www.georgalymedisease.org/"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">http://www.GeorgaLymeDisease.org</span></a><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDpMOwxBi4C7SYRxeBuZ9_mY_97HwW_ach0DVBbWfi8-u7gMdTvb2QePLkeoySuTdq75XUSYLjYwTMyhLnUA27tiaQpZ_LuYdn4WDtL5q0uenSBqAXlP_Hv6Wa_APx3ohdgpTCUKwya6k/s1600/thomas+macpherson+brown+m.d..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDpMOwxBi4C7SYRxeBuZ9_mY_97HwW_ach0DVBbWfi8-u7gMdTvb2QePLkeoySuTdq75XUSYLjYwTMyhLnUA27tiaQpZ_LuYdn4WDtL5q0uenSBqAXlP_Hv6Wa_APx3ohdgpTCUKwya6k/s1600/thomas+macpherson+brown+m.d..jpg" height="200" width="161" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thomas McPherson Brown, MD<br />
1906-1989</td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;">When Dr.
Thomas McPherson Brown appeared on a television interview with Joan Lunden in
1988, she said that his antibiotic arthritis treatment protocol was “turning the medical
world upside down.” Quietly, he replied,
“I’m trying to turn it right side up.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;">Dr. Brown
was working at the Rockefeller Institute just before World War II when he
discovered something interesting in the joint fluid of an arthritic patient – an
”L-form” bacteria-like agent. (It was
later identified as a cell-wall-deficient organism now known as, <i>mycoplasma</i>.) Thus, Dr.
Brown wondered whether an infection might be causing the woman’s arthritis. He began treating her and other arthritis
patients with low-level doses of the antibiotic <i>tetracycline</i>, later turning to <i>doxycycline
</i>and <i>minocycline</i> instead. Remarkably, he reported that while the
antibiotic therapy wasn’t a cure, it was an effective treatment for about 90%
of the patients he treated, as long as they "stuck with it." Other medical providers who tried Brown's protocol with their arthritic patients reported similar results. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;">As head of the arthritis research program at the Veteran’s Administration, medical consultant to the White House and Dean of Medicine at George Washington
University Medical School, Dr. Brown was well-respected. In fact, because his treatment helped so many, he became so popular among patients that they formed a vocal advocacy group of over 10,000 people. They were known as "Doctor Brown's Army." Still (or maybe because of this), he
and his antibiotic therapy were sharply criticized by many in the medical community. Finally, following his death, the results of a
National Institutes of Health clinical trial supported Brown’s claims - his treatment
protocol was <i>indeed</i> effective. Over half
the patients enrolled in the NIH “Minocycline in Rheumatoid Arthritis” (MIRA) study
had improvement in joint pain and swelling. An even greater number showed objective improvement
in their blood test results. </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;">There have now been more than seven major studies published about Brown's antibiotic arthritis therapy. Described in the book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Road-Back-Rheumatoid-Arthritis/dp/0871315432/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396404039&sr=8-1&keywords=road+back+arthritis" target="_blank">The Road Back: Rheumatoid Arthritis, Its Cause and Its Treatment,</a> </span><span style="line-height: 23px;">Dr. Brown’s protocol </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">has benefited thousands of suffering people worldwide. It
continues to be used successfully today (often with rave reviews) and not only by arthritis patients, but by people with other inflammatory connective tissue diseases such as lupus, fibromyalgia and scleroderma, as well. </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;">For more information, visit the website: <a href="http://www.roadback.org/">http://www.Roadback.org</a> and read the book <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-New-Arthritis-Breakthrough-Inflammatory/dp/0871318431/ref=pd_sim_b_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0DNJ3MAS2W1S7BKG63GW">The
Arthritis Breakthrough</a></i> by Henry Scammell.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="line-height: 115%;">GALDA Note: Since </span></i><i><span style="line-height: 23px;">Lyme disease can lead to arthritis, m</span></i><i><span style="line-height: 115%;">any won’t be surprised to learn that Lyme Borreliosis patients can often be found visiting RoadBack’s online forums and chat rooms. For more information about Lyme disease, visit
Georgia Lyme Disease Association <a href="http://www.georgialymedisease.org/">www.GeorgiaLymeDisease.org</a></span></i><span style="line-height: 115%;"> or visit us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Georgia-Lyme-Disease-Association/156051833921" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.</span></div>
Georgia Lyme Disease Associationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11937264029476704387noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429596904140073216.post-78399537313717989262013-06-05T12:40:00.000-07:002013-06-07T11:14:18.651-07:00<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">© Georgia Lyme Disease Association,
www.GeorgiaLymeDisease.org</span></span></i></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">COMMON LONE STAR TICK IMPLICATED IN <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">LYME DISEASE BACTERIA FOUND IN SOUTHERNERS</span></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dr.
Clark's Research May Help Millions<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<em><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: normal; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">For the first time
ever</span></b></em>, University of North Florida's Dr. Kerry Clark and
colleagues reported finding two species of Lyme disease bacteria previously
unknown to infect humans, <em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: normal; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Borrelia
americana</span></em> and <em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: normal; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Borrelia
andersonii</span></em>, in symptomatic patients living in the Southeastern USA.
Importantly, the commonly found lone star tick, formerly believed by many to be
incapable of transmitting Lyme disease, was implicated in some of these cases.</div>
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The <a href="http://www.medsci.org/v10p0915.htm" target="_blank">research</a>, published in the May issue of <em><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: normal; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://www.medsci.org/v10p0915.htm" target="_blank">The International Journal of Medical Sciences</a></span></em>, is extremely
significant for several reasons. First,
only <em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: normal; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">one</span></em> Lyme
bacterial species, <em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: normal; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Borrelia
burgdorferi sensu stricto (Bbss), </span></em>was previously recognized to cause
disease in North America. Current
testing methods and interpretation criteria, designed to detect just one
species, may explain many of the
complaints involving the unreliability of Lyme disease tests in the USA.</div>
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In addition, the belief
that only black-legged "deer" ticks can transmit Lyme disease
has been widely publicized for decades.
Lyme disease risk has been calculated largely based upon the prevalence
and infection rate of these "deer" ticks, <em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: normal; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Ixodes scapularis.</span></em> In fact, Yale University recently released a
new <a href="http://commonhealth.wbur.org/2012/02/ultimate-lyme-disease-map" target="_blank"><i>Lyme Disease Risk Map</i></a> funded by a<a href="http://news.yale.edu/2004/06/23/29-million-cdc-grant-yale-study-lyme-disease-transmission-humans" target="_blank"> <i>$2.9 million CDC grant</i></a> which was highly contested by many.
(They only tested a total of <em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">nine</span></em> black-legged
ticks from a few southern states.) Yale's map, based solely on "deer"
ticks, shows little risk to people
living outside the Northeastern USA. Clark's findings, together with past
studies implicating lone star ticks associated with Lyme disease (Masters,
Rawlings, Felz, Feir, etc.), strongly suggest otherwise. </div>
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Dr. Clark and his team identified <strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">lone star ticks</span></strong>,
<em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: normal; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Amblyomma americanum</span></em><em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-style: normal; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">,</span></em> removed from humans who tested positive for
Lyme bacteria, <em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-style: normal; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">including</span></em> the
species of <em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: normal; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Borrelia
burgdorferi,</span></em><em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-style: normal; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></em><em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: normal; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Bbss</span></em>,
already known to cause the disease in North America<em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-style: normal; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">. </span></em>Some of
the ticks removed from the patients tested positive, too. </div>
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Lone star ticks are the most commonly found species
biting humans in the Southeastern United States. These aggressive ticks are found almost
halfway across the nation - from the deep South and as far north as Canada.
This groundbreaking research may clarify why so many humans living outside of
the Northeastern USA claim they have contracted Lyme disease** regardless of
the absence or low prevalence rate of infected black-legged
"deer" ticks. </div>
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The new findings significantly expand the geographic area
where Lyme disease should be considered by medical providers and citizens
alike. As Georgia Lyme Disease Association
president Liz Schmitz remarked, "If only one percent of these ticks are
able to transmit Lyme disease, it poses a tremendous threat to public health
because lone star ticks are known to bite humans so frequently."</div>
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Dr. Clark's work may help millions of chronically ill
people living in areas where Lyme disease wasn't previously recognized. Called <em><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: normal; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The New Great
Imitator</span></b></em><em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-style: normal; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">, </span></em>Lyme
disease is often mistaken for illnesses such as Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue
Syndrome, Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Lou Gehrig's
disease, Parkinson's, ADHD, and even Alzheimer's.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i><u><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text2;"><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-themecolor: text2;"><a href="http://www.georgialymedisease.org/" target="_blank">Georgia Lyme Disease Association</a></span></span></u></i></b> is proud to have provided both technical assistance and funding in
support Dr. Clark's important research.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">** For decades, public health officials and Lyme
disease groups and organizations have heard from thousands of patients living
outside known "endemic" areas who claim they and/or their family
members contracted Lyme disease with no travel history. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">With 715
cases on record, Georgia was the 4th highest state in the nation in CDC-reported
Lyme cases in 1989 but reported only 10 by 2010. Most cases of southern Lyme disease now go unreported due to the different regional surveillance
guidelines used. Southern cases are often
dismissed as "false positives."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">New! GALDA campaign to fund the work of Dr. Kerry Clark & colleagues:</span></i></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b> </b><span style="font-size: small;"> Please help us support the ongoing research efforts
of Dr. Kerry Clark by making a
tax-deductible donation to GALDA's new fundraising campaign. GALDA is an </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">all-volunteer,</i><span style="font-size: small;"> non-profit 501(3)c organization. All proceeds of this campaign will go
directly to support the important work of Dr. Clark and his colleagues.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Five...ten... twenty dollars...<i>every bit helps!</i> Let's speed up our understanding of Lyme
disease by working together to unlock <i>Borrelia
burgdorferi's</i> secrets! Patients and
citizens <b><i>everywhere </i></b>will benefit.
Thank you for your generosity. <i><a href="http://www.georgialymedisease.org/donate" target="_blank">Click here to support this great work.</a></i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">www.GeorgiaLymeDisease.org<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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Georgia Lyme Disease Associationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11937264029476704387noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429596904140073216.post-89977303692431525932012-08-30T23:00:00.002-07:002012-09-05T12:19:43.487-07:00Undisclosed Flaws in CDC National Lyme Disease Case Map Limit Chances of Early Diagnosis and Treatment for Southern Patients <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0MnjtOenOoeW9IlwbIyWSymDmkB2UrfvPr7JEmwB9Vr1PsK-d4WKOQ_cIAkC2uHBgu4l1vB_2ur7yVkfMFAh6Nnl-m5G3h3E9ckr7TqINXYnkl0bGWoCv82e6Qvbw0eXUuqVpdCDX7ww/s1600/ws-Flawed+National+LD+Case+Map+F.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" fea="true" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0MnjtOenOoeW9IlwbIyWSymDmkB2UrfvPr7JEmwB9Vr1PsK-d4WKOQ_cIAkC2uHBgu4l1vB_2ur7yVkfMFAh6Nnl-m5G3h3E9ckr7TqINXYnkl0bGWoCv82e6Qvbw0eXUuqVpdCDX7ww/s640/ws-Flawed+National+LD+Case+Map+F.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><a href="https://60333d6a-a-62cb3a1a-s-sites.googlegroups.com/site/southerntickbornediseasedata/home/news/ws-Flawed%20National%20LD%20Case%20Map%20F.jpg?attachauth=ANoY7crZlGcvpcikvGeK-Ko1wLT9amTJnC511iivP27VuvayCdgbvaP-4hzRLnItr8zl2o-ZTAk9wFycG3zYKNTcWCBdRUJ7yTP2-mMHeun1GbGCnHsCGawZ0MA3us8eoGXJebteFF3Qi5owX4NetfwMAMfrNd4tqstHefHjACYCQSfdfudQw6F-13fcajFRcrhr095GldLCoWv1Mz_w1xt2NrefJh_O58oXuHF93jzvhJ4iWag6j48h-bI8fp1PyFnw4kjgR3-HnX3HE3DPhgqbb-1UmdHE3Q%3D%3D&attredirects=0" target="_blank">Click here to see larger image.</a></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<h2>
<em><span style="color: #990000;"></span></em> </h2>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>by Georgia Lyme Disease Association</em></span><br />
<br />
Today during Senator Blumenthal's hearing on Lyme Disease, Southern Lyme disease patients and their family members heard something that sounded to them like nails on a chalkboard. One of the speakers mentioned that there aren't many Lyme disease cases in the Southern USA. Well, we will excuse him since he doesn't live here and isn't actually witnessing what we're seeing. But since we've heard this myth time after time, we thought we'd set the record straight. <br />
<br />
For many years, patient advocates have heard from thousands of people who report that they have contracted Lyme disease in the Southern USA. Many of these patients have no travel history, produce positive laboratory results, and have a history of tick bite, rash and compatible Lyme disease symptoms. <br />
<br />
This is <em>not </em>a new occurrence, as if Lyme disease is slowly creeping down here, but it's something that has been happening for <em>decades. </em>Many of the cases date back to the late 1980's and early 1990's.<br />
<br />
It seems almost everyone in the South knows <em>somebody</em> who has contracted Lyme disease and many people know of <em>several </em>cases. Patients include doctors, nurses, attorneys, political representatives, and other credible community members.<br />
<br />
So...why doesn't the rest of the nation know this? <br />
<br />
<br />
<h4>
Because looking at the CDC's National Lyme Disease Case Map<em>, one would never suspect that there are so many Lyme disease cases occurring in the South.</em> </h4>
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<br />
<h3>
What's wrong with this picture?</h3>
<br />
We couldn't understand why we hear from so many Southerners with Lyme disease when so few Southern cases appear on the CDC's National Lyme Disease Case Map. It didn't make sense! So we did a little checking and, guess what? In the states we checked, <u><em>COMPLETELY</em> <em>different reporting practices</em></u><i><u> were used,</u></i> much different than those employed in the Northeastern United States! And, apparently federal officials are fully aware of this, but somehow, they fail to note these <i>incredibly</i> significant<i> </i>discrepancies on the National Case Map.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
Comparing Apples to <i>Oranges</i></h3>
<br />
The CDC's National Case Definition for Lyme Disease (Reporting Guidelines) from 1995 - 2008 instructed states to count Lyme disease cases <em>by county</em>. The CDC guidelines said that once a county documented two or more lab-confirmed Lyme disease cases or found an infected known tick vector, that county could be declared <em>endemic</em> for Lyme disease. Once endemic, erythema migrans (EM) rashes<em> <u>ALONE</u> were reportable as cases, <u>no tick bite or positive test required.</u> </em>This is because erythema migrans (EM) is diagnostic for Lyme disease and if Lyme was documented in that county in two people confirmed by tests, there were no qualms about counting subsequent rashes as Lyme disease cases. Everyone knows at the time of the rash, most patients won't test positive yet, so reporting only those with positive test results wouldn't really work to calculate the magnitude of the Lyme disease epidemic. So rashes alone were reportable....<strong><em>in the Northeastern USA.</em></strong> Numbers in Northeastern states skyrocketed. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
An Institute of Medicine Report estimates that </h4>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<em>SEVENTY PERCENT</em> </h3>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
of all reported Lyme disease cases are </h4>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
erythema migrans rashes alone.</h4>
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<br />
<br />
<em><strong>But there's one big problem...</strong></em><br />
<br />
In the Southern states highlighted in green in the map above, rashes alone weren't reportable. (And we strongly suspect the same in other states, as well.) So, how can we <strong><em>possibly</em></strong> compare statistics? <br />
<br />
We found <em><strong>hundreds</strong></em> of counties across the Southeastern United States that have had two or more cases documented in them over the years, and no proof that they are all due to travel. (In fact, <b><i>the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported native Lyme disease cases in 27 Georgia counties and others i</i><i>n Florida and Alabama in the late 1980's</i>. </b> <a href="http://georgialymedisease.org/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/ws-Ent_326_FL.55211554.pdf" target="_blank">Click here.)</a> Infected tick vectors have been found in southern counties, too. Yet these southern counties were not declared endemic, so rashes alone could not be reported.<br />
<br />
We often hear about southern Lyme disease cases with tick bite, rash, symptoms <em>and </em>positive test results that are dismissed as "false positives" instead of reported! Federal public health officials encourage this and <i>discourage</i> testing outside current "endemic" areas despite Lyme bacteria being documented in the South for over 25 years.<br />
<br />
Without investigation, cases in the South are routinely dismissed as the mysterious, unreportable "STARI", <em>Southern Tick Associated Rash Illness</em>, which nobody can seem to put their finger on despite the hundreds of Lyme bacteria strains discovered in the South. (Once a suspect, a Relapsing Fever spirochete called <em>Borrelia lonestari</em> has now been discarded by officials as the cause of so-called "STARI.") <br />
<br />
In 2008 and again in 2011, the CDC's National Lyme Disease Case Definition changed. Now, areas that are not <i>already</i> declared "endemic" <em>officially</em> have a completely different set of reporting rules, not the same at all as what are used in the Northeastern USA. (It doesn't really matter since the<i> old</i> national guidelines were only adhered to in certain states, anyway.) Now, the reporting guidelines are far more restrictive, requiring positive lab results outside "endemic" areas - yet, remember, it's estimated that <i>seventy percent</i> of reported cases in the Northeast never had to have positive lab results, only rashes! Rashes alone are still not reportable in the South, but are in "endemic" areas of the North.<br />
<br />
To add insult to injury, officials refer to the Southern USA as "nonendemic" and put forth new, more restrictive reporting rules for most states outside the NE USA to follow, <b><i>even though hundreds of Southern counties already qualified long ago to be endemic by their own previous definition</i></b><i><b> </b>- </i>they <i>would</i> have been endemic, had we been playing by the same rules! <br />
<br />
So how could anyone hold up a <i>National</i> Lyme Disease Case Map as if it is an accurate portrayal of Lyme disease infection rates in this country? We can't compare what's occurring from state to state or region to region. Federal officials are fully aware of these different reporting practices. <em>These disparities must be stressed and noted so that those in the Southern USA and any other area of the country where this may be happening are not lulled into complacency.</em><br />
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<h3>
The Truth</h3>
<br />
<span style="background-color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-converted-space">Because Southern Lyme disease cases have been dismissed as "false positives" or "STARI" instead of reported, the <i>truth </i>is, we have no idea how prevalent Lyme disease really is in the Southern United States. But we hear from Southerners who report that they have contracted Lyme disease <i>two</i> and even<i> three times </i>and families who tell us they have <i>multiple members infected</i>. <em><strong>This doesn't occur in a region when a disease is "rare."</strong></em></span></span></span><br />
<br />
The CDC's National Lyme Disease Case Map misleads the public and medical providers. These important differences are not disclosed, causing citizens and medical professionals to assume that Lyme disease is rare in their areas by comparing their state or regional case numbers to those in the Northeastern USA where rashes alone are reportable. When doctors think a disease is "rare," it's not on their diagnostic radar screen. This adds to the lack of recognition, diagnosis and early treatment of Lyme disease, potentially causing thousands if not millions of patients to needlessly suffer permanent damage and/or persistent infection.<br />
<br />
Remember these differences when you look at the CDC's National Lyme Disease Case Map. Remember that Lyme Borreliosis is being found worldwide. Understand that more Lyme Borrelia species (7) and strains (hundreds) have been documented in the Southeastern USA than in any other region of the country. And if you develop a rash or symptoms following a tick bite, seek<i> immediate</i>, <em><u>adequate </u></em>medical treatment no matter where you live. (By the way, we <em>do not</em> support the use of the 1 or 2 doses of doxycycline; it left the majority of mice infected in a study).<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><em><span style="color: #990000;">Case numbers cannot be compared when what is reportable as a case in the Northeastern USA is routinely dismissed in the Southern USA. Don't let the maps fool you.</span></em></strong></div>
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<h2>
<span style="background-color: white;"><u><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;"><i>
What You Need To Know About Lyme Disease in the Southern USA:</i></span></u><em> </em></span></h2>
<br />
<h3>
Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto? </h3>
<br />
<em><strong>Check.</strong> 50+ Bbss strains documented by Georgia Southern University's Dr. Jim Oliver.</em><br />
<br />
In fact, Lyme disease bacteria, <em>Borrelia burgdorferi</em> (Bb) have been documented in THOUSANDS of tick and animal specimens and in many humans from across the South in published studies spanning more than two decades. More importantly, <em><b>more Lyme disease bacteria species and strains have been documented in the Southeastern United States than in</b><strong> any other region of the country</strong> </em>(see our <a href="http://www.georgialymedisease.org/ga_lyme_news" target="_blank">website NEWS page</a> for details). The fact that there are more numerous and varied Bb strains in the South, suggests to scientists that Lyme disease bacteria were actually in the Southern United States first, giving the bacteria time to diversify into so many different species and strains, before moving North.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
Competent Animal Reservoir in the South? </h3>
<br />
<em><strong>Check.</strong> The cotton mouse, cotton rat and wood rat are all competent reservoirs for Borrelia burgdorferi. The white-footed mouse is also found in some areas. Gray squirrels, chipmunks and shrews are now being investigated as reservoirs, as well. Even birds and some lizards may be reservoirs.</em><br />
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<br />
<h3>
Infected Ixodes scapularis, black-legged "deer" ticks? </h3>
<br />
<em><strong>Check.</strong> And evidence suggests these ticks moved from South to North, not that they are now "expanding their range" down to the South.</em><br />
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<br />
<br />
<h3>
Do black-legged "deer" ticks bite humans in the South?</h3>
<br />
<em><strong>Check.</strong> In fall and winter months, adult Ixodes scapularis "deer" ticks feed on humans on warmer days so humans are exposed year 'round due to our warm climate. </em><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">And lest you believe that old <b>myth</b>,</span> <em><strong>"Only nymphal ticks are attached long enough to transmit Lyme disease because bigger ticks are more easily spotted and removed quickly"</strong> ...</em><span style="color: #cc0000;">here's an important study published in 1996: </span><br />
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<strong>Duration of tick bites in a Lyme disease-endemic area, Am. J. Epidemiol. 143: 187-192.</strong><br />
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<span id="yui_3_2_0_26_1346372101545574" style="background-color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">The authors (Falco, Fish, and Piesman) reported that <u><strong>26.8% of I. scapularis nymphs</strong></u> removed from people were attached >48 hours, <u>while <strong>23.3% of adults</strong> <strong>were attached >48 hours</strong>.</u><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">There's not a very significant difference between the number of nymphs and adults attached for over 48 hours, is there? Adult ticks can easily be missed on a person's back or scalp. </span></span></span></div>
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<h3 style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal;">
<span style="background-color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: white;">Do People in the Southern USA Test Positive for Lyme Disease?</span></span></h3>
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<span style="background-color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i><b>Check</b></i>. Some Southerners do indeed test fully "CDC-reportable" positive for Lyme disease using the very strict 2-tier test methodology. This indicates that these patients are infected with a <i>Borrelia burgdoreri sensu stricto</i> B31 type strain or one closely-related, known to cause Lyme disease in the Northeastern US. These and many other strains of the species <i>Bb</i> <i>sensu stricto</i> have been documented in the Southern USA. Additionally, other diverse Lyme Borrelia<i> </i>species and strains are found in the South and some are newly discovered. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">As in the Northern USA, western blot lab results for some Southern patients don't meet CDC guidelines, however, they show various positive bands, some highly specific for<i> Borrelia burgdorferi</i>. That all Southern patients' labs do not meet strict CDC guidelines meant for reporting purposes isn't surprising in the least. A recent Johns Hopkins study of Lyme patients proved that current tests were unreliable in detecting a huge percentage of patients tested from Maryland and Pennsylvania. Why would Southern patients be expected to always have "CDC-reportable" lab results when Northern patients do not? </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: white;">A study of southern erythema migrans (EM) rash patients published years ago concluded that Southern Bb strains are <em>so</em> genetically different,<i> <u>the South needs its own Lyme disease testing system!</u></i> We <i>still</i> await these tests. <i><b>Many Southern Lyme disease cases are likely missed using the current unreliable tests which are designed to detect a few strains of a single Bb species.</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times;">Until next time, please remember to <strong><em>do a tick check daily...even in the winter months especially in warmer climates.</em></strong></span></div>
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<strong><em><span style="font-family: Times;">-GALDA</span></em></strong></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;">Don't miss our upcoming series: </span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;"><strong><em> "STARI": Is It Really Just Lyme Disease? An Evidence-Based Evaluation.</em></strong></span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">For more information, visit our website at </span></strong><a href="http://www.georgialymedisease.org/"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">www.GeorgiaLymeDisease.org</span></strong></a></h3>
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<strong></strong><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></h3>
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<strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">Follow Georgia Lyme Disease Association on Facebook and Twitter.</span></strong></h3>
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<br />Georgia Lyme Disease Associationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11937264029476704387noreply@blogger.com2