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Wisconsin Doctors Say Lyme Disease Cases On The Rise
WFRV-TV
Channel 5 – CBS
Green Bay, WI
July 23, 2006
(AP) WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis. Doctors in central Wisconsin who say the number of Lyme disease cases seems to be on the rise are reminding residents to be wary of deer ticks.
Physicians at Riverview Hospital's Urgent Care clinic in Wisconsin Rapids are seeing two to three cases each week, said physician assistant Greg Harley. Usually the clinic sees one to two cases a week, he said.
Doctors there have also treated two cases of ehrlichiosis, another tick-borne illness that only recently appeared in the state, this year.
A number of patients at Marshfield Clinic's walk-in centers in Wausau and Weston have also been diagnosed with Lyme disease, said Dr. Patrick Wolf.
"We're seeing as much Lyme disease as ever," he said.
Both diseases are carried by deer ticks, which live in wooded, brushy areas. The ticks seem to cause more problems in Wisconsin Rapids, Stevens Point and Plover than in other parts of the state, Harley said.
Lyme disease, named for the Connecticut community where it was first observed in the 1970s, and ehrlichiosis are transmitted by bacteria left when ticks attach themselves to a person's skin.
Both diseases share common symptoms including fever, headache, fatigue and muscle and joint aches. Patients with Lyme disease often get an egg-sized rash, Harley said.
Last month Anne Cejka of the town of Stettin noticed a red spot behind her knee and later developed flu-like symptoms. She even developed temporary paralysis on the left side of her face.
"I'm a nurse, and I immediately thought, 'Am I having a stroke?"' said Cejka, who has worked at the University of Wisconsin Cancer Center at Aspirus Wausau Hospital for 16 years. "I didn't know this could happen."
Her doctor prescribed a 28-day course of antibiotics, and she said she's about 95 percent back to normal.
Her affliction came as a surprise to her, which is not uncommon, Wolf said.
"In my experience, most people don't even know they had a deer tick bite," he said.
© 2006 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
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Check for ticks!
Diseases pose threats for dogs, cats, humans
Chad Dally
The Daily Press
Wednesday, May 23rd, 2007Thousands, maybe even millions, of agents are carrying with them harmful bacteria. Once you come into contact with one of those agents, you've got less than 48 hours to get rid of it.
While it may sound like the plot of some big-budget movie or stylized TV show, the risk posed by ticks to humans and our trusted companions is not fictional.
If you've let your dog out for a walk, or taken a walk through the woods yourself so far this spring, there's a good chance you had a hitchhiker — one of several species of ticks that inhabit brush and tall grass so common in this area.
But health officials and veterinarians say the one to watch for is Ixodes scapularia, or the deer tick. Although wood and dog ticks can also be found in northern Wisconsin, it is the deer tick that is the sole transporter of Lyme disease, along with canine ehrlichiosis and the bacterial disease anaplasmosis, which can infect both humans and canines.
However, while Lyme and other diseases can only be transported by deer ticks, not every deer tick is carrying the bacteria around with them.
Some of the signs to look for include: Recurring arthritis or lameness that can persist for three or four days, swollen joints, fever and fatigue.
In humans, an infection usually (though not always) starts with a rash similar in appearance to a bull’s-eye. After that, symptoms like those of animals begin to emerge, with swollen lymph nodes, fatigue and painful joints. If left untreated, it can spread pain throughout the body and cause heart palpitations and dizziness, according to the non-profit Lyme Disease Association.
It can also have a negative impact on a child's cognitive abilities.
A deer tick will wait for a host to travel past and then attach itself. Because ticks only feed once during each of their three developmental cycles, the potentially dangerous bacteria lies dormant most of the time in the gut of the ticks.
As a result, to spread Lyme disease or any other bacteria, the tick must be attached to its host for 36 to 48 hours in order to pass along the bacteria through its saliva.
That's why, unless your dog or cat (yes, cats can get Lyme disease, too) is indoors all day, it's almost certain a tick will attach itself at some point. Therefore, it's important that owners check their pets daily for ticks, said Dr. Erik Haukaas, owner of the Bay Area Animal Hospital in Ashland.
Haukaas said he's had at least 20 cases of Lyme disease come through his clinic this spring, and he's been able to treat most with antibiotics that will mend the animal in about two to six weeks.
"I'd say probably 90 percent of the cases can be cured with antibiotics, although some have had a relapse and long-term problems," he said.
There were about 1,450 reported incidents of Lyme disease reported in Wisconsin in 2006, the highest number recorded for the state since records began in 1980, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services. That averages out to about 26 cases for every 100,000 people.
Haukaas recommended special flea and tick treatment like Frontline to keep the pests off the pets.
Although anaplasmosis is not a new disease, Haukaas said its occurrence in northern Wisconsin is still emerging. The symptoms of anaplasmosis can be similar to those of Lyme disease; the crucial difference is that "people can die from anaplasmosis," said Dr. Johan Bakken of St. Luke's Infectious Disease Associates in Duluth, who was the first one to diagnose a patient with anaplasmosis in 1990.
"The other (difference) is that the symptoms of anaplasmosis begin much more abruptly than symptoms of Lyme disease, even though some of the symptoms may overlap," Bakken said. "There is no rash with anaplasmosis, but the symptoms are almost like turning on a light switch, which contrasts with Lyme disease that emerges over several days."
Bakken estimates that about 15 percent of the population in this area has been exposed to anaplasmosis, evidenced by the fact that their bodies have developed antibodies to fight the bacteria — even if a full-on infection does not occur.
"That's roughly the same percentage in northwestern Wisconsin as those who have been exposed to Lyme disease," he said.
Making the prognosis trickier is the fact that the symptoms of Lyme disease and anaplasmosis mirror not only each other, but other diseases as well. And it's possible that the same tiny tick could carry bacteria for both diseases.
The best defense, Bakken said, is "to be cautious all the time," since typically the only months when reports of the diseases don't surface is January and February. In contrast, diagnoses are frequently made between May and August because that corresponds with ticks' growth and feeding schedules.
Sue Halbe, a nurse practitioner at Memorial Medical Center in Ashland, said she's seen many cautionary patients come through the hospital. Some have been bitten; others just found them on their skin and brought the tick in with them for identification.
But unless the tick has been riding around with you for more than a day and half, there's virtually no chance you've been infected.
That's why, whether it's your animal or yourself, the best way to prevent the contraction of any of these diseases is to check for ticks every time you come home from a walk in the woods.
Breakout box
What is Lyme disease?
An illness caused by deer ticks infected with a particular strain of bacteria. Deer ticks can attach to, and bite, humans, dogs, cats, cows and horses, among other animals.
Symptoms
Usually starting with a rash and developing into fever, fatigue, sore joints and muscles. If untreated, meningitis, arthritis and other problems can develop.
Treatment
Antibiotics for both humans and animals. Pets can be treated with a flea and tick bath formula, but consult a veterinarian as to whether a vaccine is appropriate for your pet.
Prevention
• Insect repellents have been shown to be effective in repelling deer ticks (although you take your chances on DEET). Be sure to follow the manufacturer's directions on the label.
• Wear a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, and high socks with pant cuffs tucked into the socks. Light-colored clothing will make ticks easier to find.
• Walk in the center of mowed trails to avoid brushing up against vegetation.
• Conduct thorough "tick checks" on yourself and your children after spending time in tick-infected areas. Prompt removal of ticks, even after they have attached, can drastically reduce the chance of Lyme disease transmission.
Source: Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services
Ticks spread more than lyme disease
Paula Harvetine/Critter Care
Coulee News
West Salem WI
January 10, 2007
Lyme disease is well known in this area. Most people know that it is a bacteria which is spread by the deer tick; that it can cause symptoms of fever, lethargy (tiredness), anorexia, arthritis, lameness, and swollen lymph nodes; that many dogs will show no clinical symptoms for months or years even when the disease is present; that there is an antibiotic that is used to treat it (successfully in many cases, not so successfully in others); and that some dogs will develop severe, life-threatening disease when infected with the Lyme disease bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi.
Many people also realize that there is a combination heartworm test that tests for heartworm and Lyme disease and it is best to do this test on an annual basis to screen for Lyme disease and to catch it early; that all dogs should be treated year-round with an effective tick control product (but that because of large tick populations, dogs can become infected even with proper tick control); that more in depth testing may be necessary to monitor a dog who tests positive for Lyme on the screening test; and that dogs in high-risk areas should be vaccinated with the Lyme vaccine annually as a second layer of protection-and we live in a high-risk area.
What most people do not realize is that you can take those two paragraphs, get rid of the "most people know" comments, substitute the bacteria, Anaplasmosis phagocytophilum every time Lyme disease or Borrelia is mentioned-except for the comment about the vaccine-and you have a whole new disease discussion-and a whole new concern for your dog.
Anaplasmosis phagocytophilum, previously known as Ehrlichia Equi, is very prevalent in this area. It is spread by the same ticks as Lyme disease and it can be a co-infection (both infections occurring at the same time) with Lyme disease. Experts at IDEXX Laboratories, the manufacturers of the IDEXX SNAP 4DX test, maintain that when a dog contracts Lyme disease or anaplasmosis alone, its immune system is more likely to suppress disease. However, a dog with both infections at once is more likely to become sick. IDEXX created the 4DX test to test for heartworm, Lyme, anaplasmosis, and Ehrlichia canis (another tick-borne disease that is not as prevalent in this area.)
If your dog shows any of the previously listed symptoms, he or she should be tested. If your dog is positive, he or she should be treated early to prevent chronic problems. If your dog lives in this area, he or she should be on tick control year-round, screened with the 4DX test annually and vaccinated for Lyme disease. And if you have dogs from other areas visiting your dog, those dogs need tick control and screening as well. You cannot catch these diseases from your dog, but you are exposed to the same ticks in the environment, so be sure to use tick repellent and check for ticks regularly on yourself as well as on your dog.
Paula Harvatine is a veterinarian at the West Salem Veterinary Clinic
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© 2006 The National Lyme Disease Memorial Park Project
