Arizona Lyme Disease

According to the surveillance statistical data of CDC, only 52 cases of Lyme disease have been reported in Arizona in the past 10 years. Though this statistics may be misleading; the reported cases actually reflect the tip of the iceberg, or only a fraction of the true cases. The CDC surveillance statistics states there are approximately 20,000 reported cases of Lyme in the US, and acknowledge that it is underreported by 10 fold. This actually means that there are a minimum of 200,000 Lyme disease cases in the US that meet the CDC standard of diagnosis.



Reporting criteria for the diagnosis of Lyme disease has been a huge debate among medical professionals. Arizona is said to be the magnet for retirees from the northeast and other areas where Lyme is highly endemic. These people may be infected with the disease in their home state and develop symptoms as they age and their immune systems become weaker. There are over 25 species of ticks in Arizona Lyme that may carry Ehrlichia, Anaplasma, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Tularemia, Babesia and tick fever, as well as Lyme disease. If the tick that bites people is infected, it can inject Lyme bacteria into their bloodstream within hours of attachment. The bacteria can also invade their brain and nervous system in less than 24 hours. Lyme disease is completely curable if diagnosed early. In the advanced stages it is at least manageable.

The state of Lyme disease is actually under-diagnosed, under-treated, and under-reported. Most of the people can hardly remember being bitten by the poppy-seed-sized tick. Doctors often go for more familiar diagnoses like chronic fatigue, rheumatoid arthritis, MS, or mental illness, Lyme disease mimics many diseases. Too firm explanation of insensitive tests leaves most of the people in a diagnostic limbo, getting sicker and without proper treatment. Most of the cases of the disease are not reported, leading to artificially low numbers, less recognition of the true costs of the disease and less funding for research. Bartonella is the most well known tick-borne disease in the US and Europe, followed by Lyme disease. Lyme is considered as the fastest growing infectious disease in the US.

According to the history Lyme disease is named after the town Old Lyme, Connecticut and was discovered in 1982. The disease is solely caused by a bacterial infection that is a spirochete. The bacterium carrying the disease is called Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato. The disease is most often come from the bite of an infected Ixodes tick. Some of the most common symptoms of the Lyme disease are fever, malaise, Erythema Migrans (EM) rash or a bulls eye rash, fatigue, head ache, muscle and joint aches in large joints, sore throat and sinus infection. Prevention of Lyme disease includes avoiding known tick infested areas, mosquito-tick repellant, completely covering with clothing and checking entire body including hair when home. People need to learn proper tick removal methods; especially they should never squeeze the tick during removal. No one will have all Lyme disease symptoms but if many are present serious consideration must be given by any physician to Lyme as the possible culprit.

• Cassandra Bagley
• 21/01/2009, 10:59 AM
• 0 Comments