Sunday, August 28, 2011

Lyme Disease

The incidence of Lyme Disease has DOUBLED since 1991. Let's say that we've got 500,000 cases a year for 20 years, since Lyme is under-reported and under-diagnosed.

That means we're talking at least 10 million cases in the USA alone.

If the tick carries Borellia burgdorferi, the bite can render you bedridden, insane, or a walking cripple who can't concentrate or hold a job. Or it can kill you.

The only accurate test is to take a drop of blood, place it on a slide, wait at least a half an hour, and then to watch under a high-powered microscope as the Lyme spirochete bacteria leave their red blood cell hosts.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is more conservative. It estimates that there are 325,000 new cases of Lyme Disease in the USA each year.

That means there are more cases of Lyme Disease in the USA than the combined totals of AIDS, West Nile Virus, and Avian Flu.

Although Canada does not keep statistics on Lyme Disease infections, the ticks that carry it are in Canada and Borrellia has been found in Canada.

Across the world, nations are struggling with the Lyme Disease epidemic. Particularly since the tests for it often give false negative results. That means Lyme is under-diagnosed and therefore under-treated.

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