Tennessee Articles: BACK
Advocate Warns of Lyme Disease
News Channel 5, WTVF (CBS)
Nashville TN
August 17, 2006
Mary Ann Pickard would like to spend more time picking tomatoes in her garden, but she's picking pills instead. She said it's because of Lyme disease from a tick bite seven years ago.
"They started like flu-like symptoms, but really severe, like I've never had them. Bad muscle pain, headaches, nausea, exhaustion like I've never experienced," Pickard said.
She said she started feeling several symptoms of Lyme and other related diseases two weeks after being bitten.
Pickard said doctors misdiagnosed her disease for almost a year leading to serious complications. She's now an advocate on the dangers of Lyme disease.
Health officials admit quick treatment is a must.
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Bredesen illness puts big focus on the tiny tick
Bites are common in Tennessee, but infections are few
Claudia Pinto, Staff Writer
The Tennessean
September 2, 2006
Since word got out that Gov. Phil Bredesen's "mysterious illness" possibly was due to a tick bite, Dr. Steve Samudrala says he has been asked to examine flea and mosquito bites, even an ingrown hair, by patients who worry that they have been bitten by the tiny bloodsuckers.
Samudrala, with America's Family Doctors walk-in clinics, said the governor's diagnosis has increased the public's interest about tick bites, but he thinks the heightened concern is a good thing because it makes people more aware.
"If there's ever a question, it's much better for the patient to come in and be evaluated," said Samudrala, medical director at the walk-in clinics with locations in Brentwood, Smyrna and Murfreesboro. "Even if someone isn't infected, they could have an infection from not removing the head correctly."
The truth is that tick bites occur fairly regularly in Tennessee, but that relatively few people become sick from them. In Tennessee, the most common disease transmitted by ticks is Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Only about 4 percent of American dog ticks that cause the illness are infected, according to the University of Tennessee's Agricultural Extension Service.
"Getting Rocky Mountain spotted fever is pretty rare, but for the unlucky few it could become a serious problem," Samudrala said.
There were 137 reported cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever in Tennessee in 2005, compared with 18 cases of Lyme disease and 24 cases of the lesser-known tick-borne illness ehrlichiosis, according to the Tennessee Department of Health.
"It's relatively uncommon for people to become sick from a tick bite," said Dr. Michael Floyd, associate professor of medicine at Meharry Medical College. "Every tick bite is not going to cause an illness."
Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, says that, if someone becomes infected in Tennessee, chances are he has either Rocky Mountain spotted fever or ehrlichiosis.
So just how should you know if you've become sick from a tick bite?
Tick bite illnesses begin with similar symptoms: muscle aches, chills, weakness, headache and fever. Those with Rocky Mountain spotted fever typically go on to develop a rash of tiny, red spots.
If people develop those symptoms during tick season, Schaffner says, they should seek medical treatment. Those who become sick won't necessarily find a tick on the body, because it may have dropped off after feeding.
"If left untreated for a long period of time, people can become more seriously ill, but that doesn't usually happen," Schaffner said, noting that infections can be readily treated with antibiotics.
People who fear being bitten by a tick should be comforted to learn that tick season is coming to a close. It runs from late March to late October in Tennessee, Schaffner said.
Rocky Mountain spotted fever is carried by infected American dog ticks, ehrlichiosis by infected lone star ticks and Lyme disease by infected deer ticks. The ticks become carriers after feeding on infected animals.
"When it starts to cool off, they aren't out," Floyd said.
Schaffner recommends people protect themselves from tick bites by using tick repellent and covering up as much as possible. They also should check their bodies for ticks when they've been outdoors.
"If you're exposed to an infected tick, you can reduce the risk of getting infected by removing the tick," Schaffner said. "The longer it feeds, the greater the likelihood that the infection will be passed on. "
The best way to remove a tick is to grasp it firmly with tweezers and give a steady pull. "Don't yank or you'll rip the head off and leave it inside the body where infection could still take place or your skin could become irritated," Schaffner said.
Medical experts say it's good for people to take precautions but that they should not become overly concerned unless they display symptoms.
"Anytime anybody of significance gets a diagnosis, there tends to be an interest among the public," Floyd said.
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© 2006 The National Lyme Disease Memorial Park Project
