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A friend sent me the following article from one of the USENET groups.
It's getting scary - the article says you can now get Lyme disease
from certain bodily fluids of infected animals and possibly from
flies or mosquitoes. I'm posting it here because it also says that
cats can get it and could potentially spread it.
Pam
Article 1880 of rec.backcountry:
From: kean@tank.uchicago.edu (Keane Arase)
Newsgroups: rec.backcountry
Subject: Update on Lyme Disease (LONG!)
Summary: It's spreading...
Reply-To: kean@tank.uchicago.edu (Keane Arase)
Organization: University of Chicago
Lines: 175
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From American Health, June '89
Lyme Disease: Not Just Deer Ticks, by Jon Hamilton
Mosquitoes, pets, even rabbits, can transmit the germ
Move over, Bambi. Lyme disease is spreading to states where white
tailed deer (and the Ixodes dammini tick they carry) never roam.
Now, scientists say, the disease is being transmitted by other
critters and ticks -- even mosquitoes and flies.
Though the white-tailed deer tick is still responsible for most
cases, a small number of people have gotten the disease directly
from infected animals and other insect bites, researchers reported
at an international scientific workshop sponsored by the National
Institute of Health.
The scientists gathered in Bethesda, MD, to discuss preliminary
research finding and share anecdotal reports. Among the animals now
shown to harbor Lyme bacteria, they said, are raccoons, opossums,
dogs, rabbits, horses, cattle and migrating birds. (The
white-footed mouse has long been implicated as a tick carrier.)
Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria, responsible for Lyme, are on the rise
among animals and humans. Named for the Connecticut town in which
it was discovered, Lyme disease is now in 43 states, according to
Centers for Disease Control. Last year, more than 5,000 cases were
reported -- more than twice as many as in 1987. "There's no doubt
the disease is spreading," says the CDC's Dr. Ted Tsai. What's more,
it's increasingly a global problem. Lyme starts out with flu-like
symptoms, but can lead to arthritis and serious nerve and heart
damage -- even miscarriage and birth defects.
As NIH workshop discussed new avenues of infection, Dr. Robert Lane,
an entomologist at the University of California, Berkeley, reported
that wildlife biologists have contracted the disease apparently
without being bitten by ticks. His investigation showed that the
scientists probably were infected after they handled slain deer and
came in contact with deer blood that harbored Lyme bacteria.
In fact, the scientist who first isolated the bacteria, Dr. Willy
Burgdorfer of Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Hamilton, MT, said he
became infected after a lab rabbit's urine splashed in his eye.
(Burgdorfer has since recovered.)
It's possible that owners of horses or cows could become infected by
inadvertent contact with urine, says Dr. Elizabeth Burgess, a
veterinarian at the University of Wisconsin. One study of Wisconsin
dairy farmers found that 46% had been exposed to Lyme.
Burgess has seen Lyme spread among tick-free lab dogs, probably
infected via dog's urine. She also says cats may acquire the Lyme
disease by eating infected mice. (Yes, animals can exhibit some
Lyme symptoms, including arthritis, paralysis, even unhealthy
offspring.) Fleas that bite infected pets can then ultimately pass
the organism on to people.
That underscores the wisdom of using flea collars, especially for
pest in ares where Lyme is prevalent. For example, one study in
dogs in Suffolk County, NY, found that 65% had been exposed to Lyme
bacteria. At least one person in Texas and another in Wisconsin may
have been infected by a cat flea bite.
The disease has also been detected in some ground-feeding birds, and
has spread swiftly along these birds' migratory pathways. Florida
health officials have found Lyme cases there and suspect the Lyme
bug hitchhiked on birds from the Northeast.
In California, more than 400 people have gotten Lyme disease
apparently after being bitten by another type of tick, Ixodes
pacificus, found on birds, lizards, rodents and other mammals, says
Berkeley's Lane.
Elsewhere, there are increasing reports of transmission by other
insects. Investigators say there is evidence that both biting flies
and mosquitoes are spreading Lyme disease in Europe. Louis
Magnarelli, a medical entomologist at the Connecticut Agricultural
Research Station, says he has found the Lyme organism in biting
flies, though he says it's unclear whether flies in this country are
likely to infect the people or animals they bite.
One thing is clear: This summer it's more important than ever to
take precautions against Lyme disease (see "Ounces of Prevention,"
below). And be on the lookout for its symptoms (see "Lyme Signs,"
below).
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Ounces of prevention
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Here's a check list for protecting yourself against Lyme disease:
o Call the local public health department to find out if Lyme is
endemic to your area.
o When walking in wooded areas, especially from May to September,
wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants (tucked into socks).
Afterward, check for pin-point specks on your clothes (ticks show up
best on white).
o If you're in a high risk area, consider using an insect repellent
that contains DEET (N-diethyl-metatoluamide) on clothes and exposed
areas, especially arms and hands. A report in The Lancet (I don't
know the reference..-ka) suggests adults use repellents with no more
than 50% DEET; 20% for children. Use it sparingly, advise the
authors, for only a day or two at a time.
o Remove any ticks on your skin immediately with sharp-pointed
tweezers. Grab the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull
gently straight out. Treat tick bites with a topical antiseptic
and, for the next few weeks, watch for any sign of Lyme disease.
o Make sure pets that go outside have flea and tick collars and
inspect animals after outings.
o Avoid any animal's blood, urine and feces (good advice in
general), especially if you have a cut or open wound.
For more information on Lyme disease, contact the Lyme Borreliosis
Foundation, Box 462, Tolland, CT 06084; 203-871-2900.
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Lyme Signs
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You can get Lyme disease without ever getting the typical bull's-eye
rash, say researchers. So be alert to other symptoms:
o Flu sans rash. Look for chills, fever, or other flu-like
symptoms.
o Paralysis, pain, arrhythmia. Weeks or even months later, some
people experience sever headaches, muscle pain, facial paralysis,
abnormal heart rhythms and inflammation of the heart walls and
surrounding sac.
o Arthritis. Recurring arthritic symptoms with increasing swelling
and pain.
Because many of these symptoms resemble those of gout, chronic
fatigue and even multiple sclerosis, physicians may not think to
check for Lyme. So tell your doctor if you suspect you may have
been exposed.
To know for sure, you'll need a blood test that detects an antibody
to the Lyme bacterium. It's notoriously inaccurate the first few
weeks after infection, so you may need a retest. Results can take
days. Fast accurate assays are still in the works.
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A pound of cure
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For many patients, Lyme disease is easily cured with antibiotics --
if caught early. Later on, treatment might require massive doses of
intravenous antibiotics. Even then, says Dr. Allen Steere of Tufts
University, a small number of patients simply don't respond to
treatment. He believes the bacteria can elude treatment by hiding
in nerve cells and entering a dormant stage.
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