Lyme disease on the Rise

With the month of April halfway through, flea and tick season is fast approaching. In fact, the relatively mild winter that was experienced through much of the US has actually led to an increase in reported cases of Lyme Disease.

Lyme Disease is transmitted by infected ticks. The most common carrier tick is the deer tick, although smaller dog ticks can also be blamed. Even though they can infect another being at any time of the year, deer ticks usually hibernate under the snow during winter. However, since the US experienced a lower than average snowfall this year, what little snow there was on the ground began to melt away a while ago. This means that the deer ticks have had an early start in their resurgence in both animals and humans.

Along the Eastern seaboard of the USA, veterinarians and doctors alike have already started to see a dramatic increase in the number of patients, both furry and human, with tick bites. This has prompted the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to claim the East Coast from southern Maine to northern Maryland a high-risk area for Lyme Disease.

Dr. Dora Anne Mills of the Maine Center of Disease Control agrees with the CDC's claim by stating that 50 new Lyme Disease cases were reported in Maine during both January and February. This number is a huge increase from the five year average of 15 that is normal for these two months.

Over 900 cases of Lyme disease have been reported to the CDC every year over the past two years – this number is expected to increase in 2010.

Even veterinarians are seeing an increase in the number of their furry patients who have contracted Lyme Disease. Most veterinarians in southern Maine have stated that their doggie patients were diagnosed with Lyme Disease during this past winter, an occurrence that usually happens around the springtime.

Veterinarian, Dr. Sandra Mitchell, from the Animal Medical Associates in Saco, Maine, explains:

"I was pulling ticks off (dogs) in January and seeing active cases of Lyme disease in January. It's already been a banner year for ticks. Once they get out and start breeding and feeding, we're in for a rough year."

However, Dr. Diane Shively, a relief veterinarian at Lakes Region Animal Hospital in Windham, Maine, believes that pet owners should never have stopped being concerned about ticks and Lyme Disease:

"Lyme disease in this area is very common. We deal with it on a regular basis."

Since its discovery in 1975, very little medical advancement has occurred in the treatment of Lyme Disease in more complex cases.

When a human being contracts Lyme Disease, a medical doctor will prescribe a course of antibiotics immediately, which will usually prevent any further problems. But pets are not as lucky as most vets do not know how to cure a dog of Lyme Disease, especially in advanced stages.

"If you ask 10 vets, you get 11 options," Dr. Mitchell said. "It's true there isn't any scientific proof to support any of the common treatments. We're kind of left to our own good judgment."

However, all veterinarians agree that Lyme Disease is more of a threat today than it ever was in prior years.

"If the dog is getting a positive test for Lyme disease, people need to be aware of their environment. If it's a parent with children, you want to know if your dog is positive if your kids play in the same place," said Dr. Shively.

Lyme Disease can be contracted by humans, dogs and horses. It occurs in 49 States and is most prevalent between Massachusetts and Maryland, in the upper Midwest (Wisconsin and Minnesota), and in the west (California, Nevada, Utah, and Oregon).

Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Wisconsin, and Minnesota actually account for 90% of all reported cases of Lyme disease in the US.

To learn more about Lyme Disease visit Petwellbeing's Wiki.

Photo Credit: jkirkhart35