Can we eliminate Lyme disease by 2030?

Non-profit, Center for Lyme Action, issues a call-to-action with Lyme Moonshot strategy.

In a world, where Lyme disease is so prevalent, can we hope to eradicate the disease by 2030? Center for Lyme Action co-founder, Bonnie Crater believes we can. Likening the focus required to that of President Kennedy’s declaration that we would land on the moon within a decade, Crater notes, “With the right focus, the country can meet that challenge.”

Can we hope to eliminate Lyme disease by 2030?

The First Step in a Federal Fight Against Lyme Disease

In December 2019, President Trump signed the Kay Hagan Tick Act into law. This bi-partisan effort was introduced after Senator Kay Hagan died from complications of a tick-borne illness. Bonnie Crater believes that this law has laid the essential foundation for furthering federal funding to eliminate Lyme disease by 2030. Federal money would go toward better understanding Lyme, vaccine development, and better early diagnostics.

Lyme disease research funding — More Lyme research funding is required.

What is the toll of Lyme?

Deer and Lyme Disease in Central Mass Center for Lyme Action believes there are up to 2 million chronic Lyme sufferers in the United States. They believe the potential economic cost of Lyme disease exceeds $75 billion. Lyme is non-biased, and affects people of all ages, all walks of life. Due to the territorial expansion of tick populations, Center for Lyme Action says that ALL Americans should be worried about Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses. We can no longer say that tick-borne diseases are only happening in the Northeast or Southeast. Climate change and deforestation are two of the contributing factors of expanding tick populations.

How can we eliminate Lyme by 2030?

massachusetts tick The Lyme Moonshot initiative declares that accelerating efforts to diagnose, treat, and prevent the disease are necessary to eliminate Lyme by the end of the decade. Center for Lyme Action is asking for the formation of a new White House office, called TICK (Tick-borne Innovation, Collaboration, and Knowledge). This new office would work to harness science and technology to step up the fight against Lyme and other tick-borne diseases by joining forces in the private sector, healthcare providers, and research institutions.

Lyme prevention is here now with professional tick control.

Dave Macchia mosquito conrol and tick control enthusiast — Dave Macchia
Central Mass enthusiast for effective season-long mosquito and tick protection

Current Lyme prevention is available now, and until we have achieved elimination, we must utilize the tools we have. The most important facet in Lyme prevention is at-home tick control. Professional tick control companies offer “in-season” tick barrier spray, as well as fall and winter tick tubes, which are deployed to control the emerging population in the spring. Reputable tick control companies also offer all-natural tick repellent formulas. Until tick-borne diseases no longer exist, we must be vigilant in helping prevent their spread.

Lyme Disease, The Great Imitator

In recent years, Lyme disease diagnoses have become more prevalent. Still Lyme is commonly mistaken for other ailments.

What makes Lyme disease the great imitator? First of all, Lyme is one of those illnesses, which takes on many different shapes. Symptoms can vary from one person to the next. Children often have different symptoms than adults. It is also believed that Lyme is left undiagnosed in women more than men. As long as Lyme has been around, there is still so much confusion surrounding the disease.

Lyme disease great imitator — Lyme is often undiagnosed in women.

Lyme is mistaken for Alzheimer’s.

Kris Kristofferson has Lyme disease A few years ago, we learned that Kris Kristofferson had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. He was treated for the disease for years, only to then be found to have Lyme disease. Once his Lyme was treated, he began to lose the Alzheimer’s symptoms. It’s not just Alzheimer’s, though! Lyme is often mistaken for rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and chronic fatigue syndrome. Symptoms of Lyme mimic those of other illnesses, and many doctors are not informed enough to do proper testing to make a Lyme diagnosis.

Where you live could have an effect on your health when it comes to diagnosing Lyme disease.

Are tick borne diseases contagious? For a very long time, certain regions of the United States were not believed to have Lyme-carrying ticks. For this reason, many patients were never even considered for Lyme testing when they began to show symptoms that mimic other ailments. In recent years, especially with highly-publicized cases of misdiagnoses, doctors in these areas are starting to test for Lyme when symptoms common among other illnesses show up in patients. To say that there has been a learning curve in diagnosing Lyme is an understatement. People, who live in the south and other supposed less-affected areas might still find themselves fighting for proper Lyme diagnoses.

What can you do if you think you have Lyme symptoms?

What if you find a tick on you?

If you have been outdoors and believe you might have been bitten by an infected tick, and begin to show signs of illness, seek immediate medical attention. Explain your potential exposure or known exposure if you actually found an embedded tick. Look for the Lyme rash, which presents in bull’s eye pattern. Explain your symptoms to your doctor, and if they are not equipped to perform proper Lyme testing, ask help finding a practitioner, who is. If Lyme is diagnosed early, there is a great chance it can be cured with antibiotics. If you believe you suffer from chronic Lyme symptoms, also seek the aid of a Lyme specialist, who can properly diagnose and treat the disease.

What are common symptoms of Lyme, which mimic other diseases?

sleeplessness is a Lyme symptom Because Lyme symptoms range from extreme fatigue, headache, and joint pain to cognitive impairment, it can be mistaken for the disease mentioned above, as well as others. These include ALS, multiple sclerosis, and fibromyalgia. In children, hyperactivity and other cognitive impairments lead to misdiagnoses of ADD and even learning disabilities.

Also read: Lyme Disease in Children and Teens

Protect your home and family in Central Massachusetts with year-round tick control. This is your single best bet in prevention of Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses.

Lyme Disease Diagnosis for Justin Bieber

Lyme disease, often mis-diagnosed, has taken a new very public victim. Justin Bieber speaks about his Lyme disease diagnosis in his new YouTube documentary.

Superstar, Justin Bieber, recently announced his very private battle with debilitating chronic anxiety, Epstein-Barr, and Lyme disease ahead of his new docuseries on YouTube. Leading a public life and being on tour brought his overall health and well-being to a halt, leading to the remainder of his last tour being completely canceled. All this prefaced him seeking medical help, and led to the eventual positive diagnosis. Justin says that he is, “battling and OVERCOMING.”

Lyme disease is often mis-diagnosed

Lyme disease bullseye rash — Bullseye rash after tick bite

Lyme symptoms are vast and varied! They are not the same for every person, and can be very different in children and adults. If a person is bitten, and contracts Lyme, the bullseye rash is not always present. Without the telltale rash, many victims of Lyme don’t even realize they have been bitten by an infected tick. All the while, the Lyme bacteria are spreading throughout the nervous system, joints, and even the heart. They might be asymptomatic for a very long time, or might present Lyme symptoms that mimic other diseases, such as arthritis and mental illness. Joint pain, fatigue, brain fog, and major behavioral changes are just a few of the vague symptoms of Lyme. Delayed treatment results in a lifelong battle for many. Treatment can also become a lifelong battle for those, who are diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease.

More information: Lyme Disease Treatment

children and teens with Lyme — There is much mystery surrounding Lyme disease diagnosis and treatment.

Like many sufferers of post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome, Justin has been harshly criticized for his appearance and mental state. This stigma causes many undiagnosed Lyme victims to suffer in silence. They are often doubted and ridiculed by family, friends, and even their doctors. “It’s all in your head,” is actually a fair statement in regards to Lyme. It can be “in your head” – meaning that chronic Lyme can most definitely present in extreme mood swings. Aided by the frustration of alienation before receiving proper medical care and a clear diagnosis, these behavioral symptoms can compound. Many PTLDS sufferers admit to having been suicidal – this is especially true in teens.

Dave Macchia, tick control enthusiast — Dave Macchia, Central Mass tick control enthusiast

With the prevalence of ticks in Massachusetts, it is imperative that you protect your family from the threat of Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses with year-round tick control and protection.

Lyme disease: Rapid testing in 2020?

Lyme disease testing has long been a lengthy process. Thanks to researchers at Cornell University, that could be changing.

Anyone, who has ever undergone Lyme disease testing, knows the perils of getting a clear diagnosis. They are also familiar with how involved the process of testing for Lyme antibodies is. Researchers at Cornell’s McGovern Center are working to drastically shorten the process of diagnosing Lyme.

Scientists are hopeful the new Lyme detection testing will be available by late 2020

With more than 30,000 reported cases of Lyme disease each year, and an estimated ten times that amount un-reported, these new testing methods could mean faster treatment of Lyme, with fewer cases of chronic disease symptoms. The majority of Lyme cases are cured with a short course of doxycycline, but rapid detection is key.

chronic Lyme disease — *New testing method can reportedly detect whether an infection is new or old*

Not only is the new rapid Lyme detection testing able to detect new infections, it can also identify old infections, as Lyme antibodies can linger for decades. This means that those, who might never have been diagnosed with Lyme, but have suffered symptoms for years, could now get a diagnosis.

Current Lyme testing, even on patients with the disease-identifying bullseye rash, can take weeks

Lyme disease bullseye rash Lyme disease marker proteins are present in very low levels, and are difficult to detect. For this reason, multiple tests are required to achieve a clear diagnosis, even on patients, who already have symptoms. The new test is purported to identify those disease markers directly with one small blood sample. The rapid test targets a protein that provides an “active-protein fingerprint” left by Lyme-causing bacteria. The new test is said to be moving from the lab, and onto approvals, production, and finally doctors’ offices in 2020, thanks to a FuzeHub grant.

The prevalence of Lyme is in the northeastern United States

Most cases of Lyme disease happen right in our own backyards. The northeastern U.S. has the highest incidences of this nasty disease, with most infections occurring between the months of May and October. Central mass tick control is important for your family’s health, not just for Lyme, but other tick-borne illnesses like Babesiosis and Powassan virus. I implore you to use Permethrin and perform a tick check after a day spent hiking, at the park, or at the beach – for your whole family, even pets! I also recommend at-home tick protection.

Tag: Lyme diagnosis