Lyme Disease

If you like mysteries, how about tracking down a potentially fatal disease that is a master of disguises? The "suspect" in this plot is Lyme disease. The name comes from the town of Old Lyme, Connecticut where it first gained public attention.

Lyme disease is not a brand new illness. The skin problems is causes were first described in Sweden in 1909. It came under intense study when doctors noticed a 100 fold increase in incidence of this disease in Old Lyme in 1975. Since 1984 the spread of this disease throughout the country has been nothing short of incredible.

In its early stages, Lyme disease may look like any number of skin rashes. At this stage treatment is relatively easy (although long term) but diagnosis is extremely difficult. Progression of the disease leads to arthritis, muscle weakness, heart disease, and kidney disease. Signs of nervous system involvement include behavior changes (often with marked aggression), headaches, memory loss, and vision disturbances. Treatment at this stage is very difficult.

The disease agent is a Spirochete, a type of bacteria. These Spirochetes are carried and spread by ticks. Initially, the deer tick seemed to be the main carrier and outbreaks were seasonal. But the rapid spread in geographic area since 1984 has shown that several ticks can carry the bacteria and the disease is seen throughout the year.

As with many diseases, early detection and treatment improves the likelihood of successful treatment. Prevention is even better. A new, reliable blood test has been introduced in the past few months. The first Lyme disease vaccine was released for commercial use on December 21, 1998.

Lyme disease has already afflicted some of our clients and some of our pets. Please contact us to arrange for prevention or testing for this crippling, and potentially fatal, disease.