Tick Time: Be alert for the bloodsucking pests
Tallahassee Democrat
By Mary Leslie, Democrat Staff Writer
Originally published June 4, 2007
Last updated June 6, 2007 6:40 PM EST
Enjoy the great outdoors but be alert for blood sucking pests
As summer approaches and Tallahasseeans spend more time outdoors, area residents should be on alert for a threat - one that's smaller than a dime.
The cunning, blood-sucking tick, which can carry Lyme disease, is a swift-breeding problem in Florida, and it's not just one for the dogs.
Lyme disease is the most prevalent bug-borne illness, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, new cases are reported in about 20,000 people yearly, and it's believed that this number is sorely underestimated.
Photo: Scott Holstein / Special to the Democrat
Sandi Lanford is director of LifeLyme Inc., a support group for people coping with Lyme diseaseThe Lyme bacteria (Borrelia burgdorferi) entrench themselves deep within tissues and migrate throughout the body, hiding from the immune system. The disease can cause joint pain, heart disease, brain inflammation and a host of other complications if left untreated.
It's often misdiagnosed as lupus, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis or a psychiatric disorder and can be incredibly debilitating without proper medication.
Sandi Lanford lives with chronic Lyme disease and is the director of Lifelyme Inc., a local support group. Last week she was named an Advocate Extraordinaire by PANDORA, a Miami-based support group for sufferers of chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, Lyme and others, for her work with Lyme disease.
There's a brochure in the Maclay Gardens' welcome office that advises hikers of the presence of ticks and chiggers, a publication courtesy of the Department of Environmental Protection.
The Lifelyme group has around 200 members who meet regularly at the Tallahassee Senior Center to talk about their experiences, research into new ways to treat the disease and other Lyme-related topics.
"It's great to be able to talk to people who are knowledgeable about the subject and can empathize," said member Melinda Recchi, who contracted Lyme disease in April 2006. "I don't know what chaos my life would be right now if not for Lifelyme."
The Lifelyme Web site has received more than 60,700 hits (visits) since February.
While greater public awareness has resulted in more frequent diagnosis of the disease, that wasn't the case when Lanford first started exhibiting symptoms - a rash on her hands and feet - at age 12. Her pediatrician thought that she might have syphilis and put her on antibiotics.
"They worked, and the rash disappeared," she said. "But after that I suffered with mild panic attacks, fatigue and mild depression. I also had problems with dyslexia."
Lanford said no one paid any attention to her complaints, and she continued to struggle silently for 27 years.
Later in life, she was diagnosed with chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia and lupus. She wasn't diagnosed with Lyme until Joanne Whitaker, the developer of the Bowen Q-RIBb test for Lyme disease, visited Tallahassee for a lecture.
"My Bowen Q-RIBb test for Lyme disease was positive," said Lanford. "All the other tests I had taken before, the Western Blot, ELISA and LUAT, were all negative."
Lanford said Lyme disease is frequently misdiagnosed, and that makes it difficult to
cure. There's also no single test that can indicate with certainty that a patient has the disease.
"That's the problem - we don't have a reliable test, one that's accepted by the CDC," she said, "So, actually, it's a clinical diagnosis."
FSU football fans may remember when former Seminole quarterback Wyatt Sexton was diagnosed in 2005 with Lyme disease, which was determined to be in its later stages by Pennsylvania specialist Chandra Swami, the same doctor who treated Lanford.
Treatment varies according to when the disease is detected. If caught early, it easily can be ...
cured by antibiotics. Treatment for chronic cases, such as Lanford's, is more complicated.
An organized group of Florida Lyme disease patients, along with doctors, advocates and constituents from around the state, succeeded in introducing legislation in 2006 for insurance-mandated coverage of long-term antibiotics and other newly developed Lyme therapies. A legislative committee recommended a substitute study bill to replace the Lyme bill, but the substitute bill was killed in session. Florida Lyme Advocacy pledged to work toward introduction and passage of a new Lyme bill soon.
The rest of the country is making efforts, too. In January, New Jersey congressman Christopher Smith introduced the Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Prevention, Education and Research Act of 2007, and the Lyme & Tick-Borne Diseases Research Center opened at Columbia University Medical Center recently. It's the first center dedicated solely to tick-borne diseases.
Chandra Swami is just one of the physicians who sees patients from all over the country who cannot get an accurate diagnosis in their home state. Ray Stricker sees more than 1,000 Lyme disease patients from all over the country each year in his San Francisco office.
"I see patients who have been to 20 doctors - they're sick and have all these symptoms, but doctors say there's nothing wrong and it's in your head," said Stricker. "It can be very frustrating."
HOW TO SAFELY REMOVE A TICKDo not burn or apply anything to the tick.
Use fine-tipped tweezers to grab the tick close to the skin and do not twist or jerk the tick.
If you must remove the tick with your fingers, protect your hand with a tissue or glove to avoid contact with fluids.
Gently pull straight up until all parts of the tick are removed.
After removing the tick, wash hands with soap and water.
Clean the bite with an antiseptic, such as iodine scrub or rubbing alcohol.
If there are signs of illness such as rash or fever, see your doctor.
ONLINE RESOURCES
Note: Note from the Editor, LymeBlog News:Mary Leslie, Staff Reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat and author of this article has asked us to remove two paragraphs from the original article published on LymeBlog News as "
LifeLyme Group Warns of Tick Danger in Florida" and in the Tallahassee Democrat as "
Tick Time: Be alert for the bloodsucking pests" both on June 4, 2007.
The paragraphs contain a quote from Sandi Lanford attributing a statement to University of North Florida epidemiologist Perry Clark. Leslie said that Dr. Clark had contacted her and felt he had been misquoted by Lanford. Leslie also stated that the newspaper would be publishing a clarification as well.
Sandi Lanford said, "Dr. Clark did say if you drag any lawn in Florida you will pull up ticks at a conference but the paper printed it like all the ticks found are Lyme infected. Which is not what he meant."
We have removed the paragraphs from the article on LymeBlog News and the Tallahassee Democrat will soon be publishing a clarification as well.
The context of the removed paragraphs was:
' Lanford said University of North Florida epidemiologist Perry Clark cautions Floridians about the prevalence of Lyme disease in Florida.
"He said there's not a lawn in Florida (where) you wouldn't find ticks with Lyme disease," said Lanford, a consultant for several research institutions.'
They were located just above the paragraph beginning:
'There's a brochure in the ...'
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