Since researching and following updates on Lyme disease a few years ago a frustration I have had is the reporting of the disease. It was believed to be far lower than the actual number. The CDC has recently began working towards getting a more accurate number using new forms of surveying. The result... the number appears to be 10 times HIGHER than previously reported.
Rather than 30,000 new cases a year it is believed to be closer to 300,000! Making it the highest transmitted disease by a tick. These numbers are not that surprising the documentary Under Our Skin released in 2008 reported similar statistics.
This information was reported by several news stations recently which is so encouraging since this disease has, in the past, been neglected. I found this video on PBS where they discussed these new findings. US News published this article just a few days ago as well. More research is still needed but seeing the CDC take this type of action to better understand those affected is a great start. With this data there will be pressure to improve testing which is severely lacking currently as well as to research why patients have lingering symptoms for months and even years which was discussed in this article. The more people that come forward about their experiences the more I want to spread the word so that hopefully many going forward can avoid the results of this little understood disease.
Tip: wear bug spray when you are outside, and shower soon after you return to the home after being outside. Both of these are huge for preventing and spotting bites.
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