A Lyme Disease Warning From The CDC

Number Of Reported Cases Of Disease Are Rising Steadily, Warns Centers For Disease Control

(CBS)  To look at Alita Lyons today, and some old photographs of her, you can't tell that she is suffering from a debilitating disease. But she has had Lyme disease for two decades.

"It gave me this terrible insomnia," said Lyons.

Lyme disease is carried by tiny deer ticks. It often goes undetected for years and can be difficult to diagnose.

"I went to, I would say, over 20 doctors, complaining about these symptoms and nobody had a good diagnosis and nobody tested me for Lyme disease until a doctor finally did it in 2003," said Lyons.

And Lyme disease is on the rise, according to the Centers for Disease Control. From over 9,400 cases a year in 1991, the annual reported cases more than doubled to 23,000 by 2005, reports CBS News correspondent Randall Pinkston.

Which begs the question: Is more Lyme disease being spread or are people reporting more cases?

"Well, I think both are true — the public is definitely more knowledgeable about Lyme disease today than they were in 1991," said Dr. Brian Fallon of the Columbia University Medical Center.

Lyme disease is a bacteria named for the Connecticut town where it was first discovered three decades ago. But it's spread far from there by the ticks, which are carried by deer, mice and even birds.

Lyme disease is concentrated in 10 states, mostly in the Northeast and around the Great Lakes.

Typically, the first symptom is a red bull's eye rash. But sometimes there are no apparent symptoms. If it's not treated early, it can progress into a debilitating condition, as it did with Alita Lyons until she got heavy doses of antibiotics.

"We switched around antibiotics and found one that's really starting to make me feel better," Lyons said recently.

While public awareness is up, the Centers for Disease Control believes Lyme disease is still underreported by more than 200,000 cases a year. Experts want the federal government to provide at least $100 million for research.

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Visit www.lymediseaseassociation.org for more information about Lyme disease.

[webdudey]

The CDC reports about 10% of cases. So you can imagine how serious the problem is. Even though there is so much doom and gloom about it, there are inspiring true stories about it like this one here: http://www.beatlymedisease.com from an athlete with Chronic Lyme making a comeback. Great job CBS for covering the story on Lyme Disease.

[trigg12]

Thanks to Mr. Pinkston for airing this story; however, I wish the editing hadn't suggested that insomnia was the worst this debilitating disease has to offer. The next story done on this epidemic should emphasize the seriousness of what this nation is facing. The weak and cherry-picked CDC reporting is just the tip of the iceberg - there are so many layers to this story (as with the disease itself) that it MUST be told...wholly and truthfully. Lyme disease and it's co-infections are so under-reported and, unbelievably, still largely undiagnosed and, sadly, even less understood, that most American's are simply unaware of its danger.
The sufferers are many, championed by only a few. This is real news, worthy of real coverage with compassion and truth. It's not just about aches and pains - it's so much worse than that. This disease will eventually affect many more people than you could ever imagine. Someone with an available platform needs to help raise awareness and bring the attention to this life-altering disease that it deserves. Until then, it unfortunately will be left to the handful of dedicated medical practitioners and Lyme advocates and sufferers to fight this uphill battle against misinformation, misconception and medical misalignment.
Please do another story soon. It will be the most important reporting you will have ever done. Many personal accounts and researched facts will fall into your lap if you would just care enough to ask.

[elle108]

I am glad that Lyme disease got this coverage, although I must say that the Bullseye rash is frequently never observed or present...and also that my understnading is that the disease is all over the country, not just concentrated in ten states.

My daughter was bitten by a tick in 1996, did not get a Bullseye, had only borderline ELSIAs and we were told that her ensuing illnesses were everything from Fibromyalgia, to "chronic mononucleosis" to depression. FInally, she was given a Western Blot which came out positive and is being treated. Wish her pediatrician had treated her prophylactically back then, rahter than counting on the ELISA, which we know now porobably would not be positive yet at the time she had it...

[mayajourney]

Last year I developed Lymes Disease. At first I thought it was a spider bite because I never found the tick and actually felt the bite. I had gotten the Lymes Vaccine, but that didn't help at all. I got very sick and was on 2 months of antibiotics. After the 2nd month, I was still very sick. The doctors wanted to put me on long term antibiotics and 24 hour morphine to help my body pain. By the grace of God, I found a wonderful doctor (Dr. Pietrowski) who works with the neurotoxity issues related to Lymes. After the spirochete is killed, the "reoccurrence" problem is associated with the toxic waste build up in the body. The toxic buildup acts as a toxin and begins attacking neurotransmitters and immune functions. 25% of the population has a sensitivity to neurotoxins, such as Lymes Disease and Mold. Both carry similar symptoms. I found out through bloodwork that I was part of the 25% who gets very sick when exposed to these toxins. Long story short, my doctor and I are working on removing the toxins and rebuilding my system.
The good news is that if you find the right doctor to treat Lymes, you can fully recover. Unfortunately, not many doctors are being educated in this way. They continue to be educated by the drug companies, which only masks symptoms, but doesn't truly heal the body.

[ticktoons]

to "consciousness..."
the governement is US, we the people. Our tax dollars go for just such things to the CDC and NIH etc, to help find cures. Whether or not our government helped create this disease, they have a duty to us (as they are us) to help.
Not deny. I think the question is really, why such denial. In the face of the facts, the denial follows the Agent Orange fiasco, The Tuskeegee Experiment,and a long list of other government sponsored diseases..not to mention what we are doing to our men and women fighting the current war for us.

[ticktoons]

Thank you for this commentary on Lyme Disease. It is not often that the facts are given correctly. It is a serious disease, under-diagnoses and under-treated. I have been ill with it since the early 80's...and misdiagnosed with all sorts of things. I finally ended up in NY, on Long Island, got on a steady cocktail (that would change as need be..I had all the co-infections) but by three years I was (nearly) good as new.
It is not only a difficult disease to diagnose, but hard to find a doctor, then its hard to stay on treatment...which for those of us with chronic infectins turns into a job and takes a huge commitment, for some of us until a cure is found. The huge problem of course is the main-stream Ivy League educated md's whose education is limited to Klempner et al studies, which we know are faulty. Yet their jobs depend on denying the disease and they block our progress at each step.
The tests resulting from this batch of "research" are misleading at best, yet every year like clockwork, the JAMA and esp the NEJAMA come out with their latest statements, which resemble their past statements...short course of treatment. After that, doctors are actually coaxed as to what to say...a myriad of excuses to help move us along out of their offices.
Both my daughter and I have had hospital stays, denied treatment while there, and in my daughter's case was told by the entire staff told she did not have "Lyme's" but was "crazy."

[killdeer4]

I'm not into conspiracy theories, but has anyone noticed the proximity of the CDC's Plum Island Animal Disease Research Center to Lyme Connecticut, where it all started. Lyme is the closest point on the CT coast, about 13 miles as the tick-infected crow flies. Is this a coincidence or was there an unplanned release of an infected animal? If so the CDC isn't likely to fess up.

[saxbob111]

Those of us in the Lyme community know that the CDC and the IDSA are covering up the extent and the severity of the Lyme epidemic, the complexity of the spirochete, and the totally inadequate tests for Lyme. The FDA admitted to being on the payroll of drug company and managed care lobbiests. It appears that the CDC and their doctors are also under the influence of managed care lobby money. If Lyme were a bio-warfare agent released by some enemy of our country, our own government couldn't be helping them morethan they are.

[robin1237]

Thanks for featuring Lyme in your news program! This disease, along with co-infections, is not just in ten concentrated states, however -- it is spreading everywhere. We have infected tick bite reports coming in from backyards, parks, openspace, any kind of natural terrain -- all over the US and the world. You are not safe wherever you are, and need to start taking tick protection precautions. Also your pets will need tick protection too. www.lymenet.org has a lot of info on how to do so. I consider this kind of awareness top priority now for everyone's sake!

[rushlimpdrug]

I feel really tired after reading the article.

[drputt45]

About 10 years ago, after visiting in the midwest, I spotted the bullseye on my 7 year old son's back. I had read about Lyme disease while on vacation and we had been careful about ticks. We took my son to the doctor here in Texas and he had just treated his first ever Lyme patient a couple of weeks earlier. Our son was treated and is doing fine.

We can blame the government, doctors or whoever, but sometimes we have be be aware of our surroundings and the dangers they carry. Sometimes we have to accept responsibility.

[toolmangler-2009]

You may find the government may have created the disease
Posted by bustardo at 10:51 AM : Jun 18, 2007


I guess that the Gvmnt created Smallpox to give the indians (and, Yes I know about the blankets that were handed out), and Bubonic Plague to give the Europeans, I am also sure that polio was created just to make F.D.Rs. life hard.
Nobody seems to think that 'Mother Nature' herself might be doing any of this. I'll bet the old Gal is sitting back saying "Suck it up, Lifes hard and then you die"

[nicsurf10]

I feel that Lyme is a major health issue and a possible cover up. I think it's possible you can't get rid of it and it keeps coming back whether youv'e been been bitten again or not.I was treated last year in the early stages and a year later Ive got it again and I don't think I was bitten again.It's changed my life for the worse and I think if people knew how common it is and the immediate negative results and future results they would move to a part of the country where there wasnt lyme. All I hear about on the news in ct. is about bird flu or west nile virus..but meanwhile lyme is destroying thousands of peoples lifes and doctors dont seem to know much about it.Why not?Its affecting a lot more people than you think Its an epidemic..with very little knowledge about it ...

[hostbody-2009]

Thank you for your segment on Lyme Disease. Lyme disease destroys cells in your body, causes intense pain, fatigue, and neurological symptoms. It is extremely hard for a Lyme patient to continue to fight for better testing and treatment when the patient can barely get out of bed. Those that feel this isn't their problem are not living in reality. This disease is panademic and will cost the public due to patients going on disability. I would rather pay for testing and treatment so that the patients can lead productive lives. Yes, I support the Lyme Bill and have contacted my representatives in the government. We all should.

[bustardo]

Why do experts want the government to provide the money, they didn't creat the desease?
Posted by Consciousnes at 09:29 AM : Jun 18, 2007


Are you so sure? Read the article in the latest Yankee Magazine. You may find the government may have created the disease and chose ticks as the vector. The ticks were then spread from the isolated island to the nearby New England mainland by birds.

Just sayin'

[jimibear]

pwdebbie, how much are you suing that doctor for? Just to take an example, I was about 25 in 1993, had no medical education, and even so, knew of the existence of Lyme disease. It was common knowledge then, and for a so-called "professional" to discount its existence is inexcusable. A cretin like the one you describe has no business practicing medicine.

[jimibear]

"Why do experts want the government to provide the money, they didn't creat the desease?

Posted by Consciousnes at 09:29 AM : Jun 18, 2007"


Thank you, Consciousnes, for proving that there truly is such a thing as a stupid question.

By your "logic", no disease would ever get funding for treatment except by those who created it. Therefore, we would still have poliom, rampant smallpox, mumps, measles and so forth killing people. We wouldn't try to find a cure for cancer, AIDS, or indeed anything.

Were you dropped on your head as a child?

[bstmorgan]

I too was misdiagnosed for two years. After megadoses of steroids and chemo drugs only made it bearble to move. When I pleaded to treat me for it (it is not prevelaint in OK). I knew I had been bit by a tick and then the symptoms started. My first tests came back inconclusive. But one came back with positive results in most of the categories, I was treated for 30 days. It was a miracle how much better I was. Because of the late treatment I have residule effects and have had two relapses. I am now unable to take antibiotics for it because I get sever reactions to them. More reserch needs to be done and other antibiotics needs to be tested for those that are alergic to penicillian or non-penn antibiotics that you can no longer take.

[consciousnes]

Why do experts want the government to provide the money, they didn't creat the desease?

[pwdebbie]

My husband had symptoms of Lyme in 1993. After several months, he went to the doctorand asked to be tested for Lyme. The doctor LAUGHED -- said Lyme was the latest "fad" and there really was no such illness. His symptoms continued to worsen until he nearly died in late 1994. After a brief recovery (over the Christmas season, which we were thinking could be our last), he became deathly ill again. This time I requested that he be transferred to a larger teaching hospital. There they uncovered an autoimmune disease and began treating him for that. In the course of that treatment, he began to manifest late-stage symptoms of Lyme. Thankfully, this time the doctor was a Lyme Disease specialist, recognized the symptoms, and ordered labs that confirmed Lyme.

Had the doctor in 1993 not laughed at us and done the tests for Lyme, my husband would probably not be on disability today. Due to his autoimmune disorder, bleeding in his lungs, heart troubles, and neurological problems (including cognitive issues) all caused by Lyme, my husband is no longer an active man. Friends and family mow our lawn, shovel our snow, maintain our home.

I am glad to see that there is more awareness now of Lyme Disease and that doctors are more apt to order the tests and begin treatment.

Please, keep this issue in the public eye as much as possible so that more people can get the treatment they need instead of being ignored as my husband was.