Carolina Lyme

Tick-borne diseases are an important cause of human morbidity in North
Carolina. This study evaluated the use of routinely collected veterinary
hospital and human hospital emergency department (ED) data for earlier
signal detection compared with routine reporting of tick-borne diseases
to the North Carolina Division of Public Health in 2006 and 2007.

The Early Aberration Reporting System was used to detect the earliest
indication of an increase in number of dogs infested with ticks that
were brought to veterinary hospitals and in number of people presenting
to EDs with a tick-related chief complaint or who had an ED
International Classification of Diseases diagnosis code of tick-borne
disease.

Results indicate that systematic monitoring of veterinary hospital and
human ED data can detect increases in tick activity 4 weeks earlier than
the current surveillance method, which would facilitate timely
initiation of tick prevention and increased clinical awareness among
veterinarians and physicians.

http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/vbz.2009.0255

Ixodes affinis, which is similar morphologically to Ixodes scapularis, is widely distributed in North Carolina. Collections have documented this species in 32 of 41 coastal plain counties, but no piedmont or mountain counties.

This coastal plain distribution is similar to its distribution in Georgia and South Carolina, where it is considered an enzootic vector of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto. An updated list of hosts for I. affinis in the U.S.A. is included, increasing the number to 15 mammal and one bird species.

The presence of questing adults of I. affinis from April to November reinforces the need for confirmed identifications of suspected tick vectors of Borrelia spirochetes collected during warm months.

Recent Discovery of Widespread Ixodes affinis (Acari: Ixodidae)
Distribution in North Carolina with Implications for Lyme Disease Studies
Bruce A. Harrison, Walker H. Rayburn Jr., Marcee Toliver, Eugene E.
Powell, Barry R. Engber, Lance A. Durden, Richard G. Robbins, Brian F.
Prendergast and Parker B. Whitt
Journal of Vector Ecology 35(1):174-179. June 2010

http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.3376/038.035.0112

Lyme Disease Awareness Night

• Tuesday, June 8th
• Westwood Baptist Church
• 200 Westhigh St
• Cary, NC 27513
• (919) 469-9393

  

Doors open at 6:00PM

Lyme Documentary - Under Our Skin starts 6:30PM

Brief Discussion Session To Follow

Lyme disease is on the rise in North Carolina. You need to know the facts.

This is a free public awareness event presented by CarolinaLyme.org

www.carolinalyme.org

carolinalyme@yahoo.com

FaceBook

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=123290257691242&ref=mf

Carolina Lyme Working To Raise Awareness

http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/05/10/475323/advocates-call-lyme-disease-a.html?storylink=misearch

http://www.wral.com/lifestyles/healthteam/story/7574471/

North Carolina Mayors Proclaim May As Lyme Disease Awareness Month. To Date These  Include Apex, Cary, Holly Springs, Mint Hill, Raleigh and Winston Salem

Pam Davis With Carolina Lyme Accepts Proclamation From Apex Mayor Keith Weatherly.

Mayor Charles Meeker Proclaims May As Lyme Disease Awareness Month For The City Of Raleigh.

http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/03/18/394678/lyme-disease-found-in-wake.html

New study announced in John Hopkins Newsletter provides insight why Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease) is difficult to treat.

Complete story can be found at :

http://tiny.cc/Q6FBb

Marcia E. Herman-Giddens, DrPH ,Adjunct professor, School of Public Health, UNC-Chapel Hill, provides comments on Breitschwerdt research.

http://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/letters/story/1349230.html

Here’s a great article seen in the Raleigh News & Observer.  Dr. Ed Breitschwerdt, a veterinary researcher at N.C. State University provides research on lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases.

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/health_science/story/1333377.html

Heated debate in Congress on Lyme disease. Long but really worth watching - http://www.lymerights.org/Pallone_v3.wmv