This week, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announce that Lyme disease is 10 times more common in the U.S. than we previously thought. They now estimate that a whopping 300,000 people are diagnosed yearly with this tick-borne disease, which causes symptoms including fatigue, headaches, joint and muscle pain, arthritis and neurologic damage. This is why I think it’s critical that you know what to look for and how to avoid this dangerous infection.
Not only is Lyme disease more common than we thought, rates of it are also growing. Cases of Lyme disease increased 77% from 2001 to 2010. Though the vast majority of cases occur in 13 states clustered mostly in the east and north of the country, in the past 10 years cases have been documented in every state except for Hawaii.
You can blame the spread of this terrible disease on the bite of the common deer tick. These easy-to-miss bugs, which are usually about the size of a poppy seed, act as hosts for Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria responsible for Lyme. These ticks can bite you without you even noticing, but usually can’t transmit the bacteria until they have been attached for at least 36 hours. Removing the tick before that time window makes it unlikely that you will catch the disease. Remember that while not all deer ticks will carry the bacteria, the most dangerous times of year are April through September.
It can take weeks, or even months, before you might know you’re infected with Lyme disease. One of the earliest signs of Lyme is a slowly-enlarging rash called erythema migrans. This rash pops up over the site of the tick bite and looks like a bullseye, with a dark center and a larger ring around it. It can appear 3 to 30 days after the bite, and may or may not be itchy. Although it occurs in up to 80% of people with Lyme disease, many people do not notice this rash until it has disappeared, which takes days to weeks.
Early signs and symptoms tend to be vague and nonspecific and may include fatigue, headaches, neck stiffness, muscle aches, joint pains, swollen lymph nodes and fever. Respiratory symptoms or digestive upset are uncommon and point away from Lyme. As the disease progresses over weeks, people can also develop nerve palsies such as Bell’s palsy, in which half of the face becomes paralyzed, meningitis, nerve pain or balance problems. Lyme can even interfere with the electrical conduction in your heart and cause arrhythmias.
If infection persists for months to years without being treated, late stage disease can develop. In 60% of people, this can include arthritis, with joint pain and swelling usually in large joints, often the knee. This can eventually lead to bone and joint erosion. People may also get shooting pains, memory problems, or strange sensations and numbness in their arms or legs due to nerve damage.
Careful vigilance is key to preventing Lyme. Catching and removing the tick early using proper technique will dramatically decrease your chance of contracting the disease. Here are some simple tips to help reduce your risk:
- If you’re outside in grassy or wooded areas where ticks like to live, keep covered with closed-toed shoes, socks, long sleeves and long pants. Light-colored clothing will help you identify ticks faster.
- Using tick repellent containing 20-30% DEET on skin and clothing may help protect you for several hours, but be careful not to get it near your eyes or mouth.
- Shower within two hours after returning inside from outdoor activities. Before they bite, ticks like to explore your body for a good place to latch on, and you might be able to wash them off before they attach.
- Check yourself (and your pets) frequently for ticks. Don't forget hidden spaces like your groin, armpits, backs of your legs, scalp, ears between your toes and around waistbands or bra straps. Ticks especially like dark, moist places. You can also recruit a partner or use a hand-held mirror to help you check hard-to-see places.
- To remove a tick safely, get a pair of fine tweezers and grab the tick as close to the skin as possible, where its head is attached. Pull straight upwards with steady pressure. Pull too fast and the tick’s mouth parts may remain in your skin – if this happens, remove the left-over bits with the tweezers. Afterwards, clean the area and your hands with rubbing alcohol, an iodine wash or soap and water. Do not burn off a tick, cover it with petroleum jelly or nail polish, as these techniques could up your chance of getting Lyme. Flushing the tick down the toilet is a good way to make sure it doesn't come hunting for you again.
- If you notice a target-like rash or have any symptoms after being bitten by a tick or spending time in a wooded area, be sure to go see your doctor to be tested and, if necessary, treated.
strikes early in the South Bay, could be to blame for the death of a Carson man
Tip from Maria:Please get regular check ups yearly, DONT MISS!! My mom would have died if she didn't get regular check ups, they found cancer and found it fast enough so it wasn't too far along they were able to remove it,So BETTER SAFE THEN SORRY!! WHO CARES ABOUT THE BILL IF IT SAVES YOUR LIFE!!
Heres what I have been reading
Los Angeles County vector Control personnel went door to door in Carson Wednesday leaving information on West Nile Virus prevention. Carson resident Martha Council gets information about West Nile Virus prevention from Vector Control Specialist Bryson Fong. (Robert Casillas / Staff Photographer)
A 78-year-old Carson man infected with West Nile virus died this week, and though county health officials have not yet officially linked his death to the mosquito-borne illness, they have confirmed that the South Bay appears to be ground zero for this year's early reports of West Nile in Los Angeles County.
Albert Shipman died Tuesday night at Little Company of Mary Hospital in San Pedro after doctors there diagnosed him with West Nile virus, according to family members. Shipman was hospitalized for two weeks before succumbing to symptoms that at first pointed to a mild stroke, said his son, Alfonso Shipman of Carson.
"He was experiencing loss of memory, slurred speech and pain on his right side," Shipman said. "Then finally, about 10 days ago, they said it's West Nile. ... We were just devastated."
Meanwhile, another hospital patient -- Anna Lee Taylor of Torrance -- also was diagnosed with West Nile virus after she was taken to Torrance Memorial Medical Center six days ago, said her daughter-in-law, Debbie Taylor.
"She went down (last) Thursday. She was semi-conscious and had a very high fever of 103.5," Debbie Taylor said. "She's had three spinal taps and blood cultures."
The blood report indicated she had encephalitis secondary to West Nile virus, she said.
Thus far, county
A map on the county's website shows a heavy South Bay concentration of birds and squirrels testing positive for West Nile virus from January to July 17. West Nile is transmitted to people and animals through the bite of an infected mosquito. Only one in five people infected will exhibit symptoms, but it can be deadly, especially to those older than 50, said Dr. Rachel Civen, epidemiologist for Los Angeles County.
"We're seeing the most West Nile virus in dead birds and mosquito pools than we've seen in many, many years in the Torrance area," Civen said. "Why, I don't know.
"Usually our focus is the San Fernando Valley and San Gabriel because, generally, they tend to be warmer. Peak months usually are from late August through September. It will be picking up."
Deaths from West Nile are rare; most who contract the virus don't exhibit anything more than mild symptoms.
But there were six deaths (from 174 reported human cases) in 2012 from West Nile virus, according
"Last year was a really big year," she said.
Because there is no treatment or cure, Alfonso Shipman said it's important that residents understand the virus can be deadly.
His father was "a huge man and just to be taken down by a mosquito like that ... people need to be aware," he said.
The rise in West Nile activity in the South Bay is "a bit of an anomaly," said Truc Dever, director of community affairs for the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District.
The agency attributes the early activity to weather conditions being "slightly" warmer -- by about 3 degrees -- than in past summers, Dever said, and also to what is thought to be a lower immunity among the bird population than in previous years.
Some of the earliest positive samples were found in mosquitoes near Machado Lake in Harbor City and the Wilmington Drain adjacent to the lake. Officials sprayed the area following the discovery.
Families of both Shipman and Taylor said there was no obvious point
Steps to protect against the threat of West Nile virus:
- Eliminate standing water in clogged rain gutters, rain barrels, discarded tires, buckets, watering troughs or anything that holds water for more than a week.
- Change the water weekly in bird baths
- Ensure that swimming pools, spas and ponds are property maintained and report neglected pools in your neighborhood.
- Request free mosquitofish from your local vector control district for placement in out-of-order swimming pools, spas and ponds.
- Wear insect repellent containing active ingredients such as DEET, Picaridin, or IR3535 when outdoors where mosquitoes are present.
- Wear long sleeves when outside at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active.
- Source: -- Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District
Los Angeles County vector Control personnel went door to door in Carson Wednesday leaving information on West Nile Virus prevention. Public health advisory is left on door of residence. (Robert Casillas / Staff Photographer)(foundInfoOffLine)
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