Iowa Lyme Disease Association
Education - Patient Support - Research - Medical Updates

Welcome!  We are glad you have found this site. Our purpose is to educate our web viewers with the facts about Lyme
disease, its diagnosis and treatment and to provide support for patients and others wanting more information. Our information
is supported by credible research and we will keep you updated on any new research that pertains to Lyme disease.
Treatment options are listed and links provided so you can find a knowledgeable doctor in your area. Lastly we provide patient
support and encourage interaction among patients and action by patients to support Lyme disease awareness.
Frequently  Asked  Questions
Lyme Disease  Is   - - -

    1.  Is there Lyme disease in Iowa?
    Yes! Up until recently the black-legged tick, formerly called
    the deer tick, was the only vector of Lyme disease. Research
    in the last 4 years has proven the Lone star tick and the
    American dog tick can also harbor the Borrelia bacteria. In
    fact the Lone star tick transmits "Master's Disease", nearly
    identical to Lyme disease symptoms. Scientists have not
    proven the dog tick can transmit the disease to humans, yet.
    Research is currently under way to find an answer.

    Reporting Ld cases is mandatory! Your doctor is required to
    report all cases that meet the CDC surveillance criteria: (1)
    Erythema migrans rash, or; (2) One late manifestation
    (musculoskeletal, nervous or cardiovascular system) and
    laboratory confirmation of infection. Cases are reported to the
    county health department, the Iowa Department of Public
    Health, and the CDC.

    Often, if a doctor suspects Ld following a tick bite, and
    knowing the antibody type tests take 30 days to give an
    effective reading,   a doctor will administer antibiotics without
    diagnosing and reporting it.

    Plus, consider the fact that  prior to 2004, Iowa, like many
    other states, had its own criteria for recording cases of Lyme
    and it was too restrictive, leaving out most diagnosed cases,
    and keeping the number of reported cases low. This led
    health care professionals to believe Lyme was not a serious
    health threat, often assuming it was an  unlikely diagnosis in
    Iowa. Consequently Ld is still under-reported, under
    diagnosed and under treated in Iowa. Thus, it is not surprising
    that Iowa averages 20-30 reported cases annually.

    2.  How is early Lyme disease diagnosed?
    Earliest diagnosis of Lyme disease is from the characteristic
    erythema migrans (bulls-eye) rash which may begin a few
    days to a few weeks after a tick bite. This expanding pink rash
    may be clear in the center, taking on a bull's-eye appearance.
    Photograph it! Its unique appearance confirms a Lyme
    disease diagnosis. However it may appear as an irregular
    rash or multiple rashes. Antibiotic treatment must start
    immediately. The rash may be followed within a few days or
    weeks by flu-like symptoms; mild to severe headache, fever,
    general malaise, muscular aches and pains, swollen lymph
    nodes, fatigue and less commonly, nausea, vomiting, and
    conjunctivitis. However, it is estimated 20% to 40% of those
    infected do not get the erythema migrans rash, or the rash
    may be atypical, resembling sunburn or poison ivy.

    4. How is Lyme disease diagnosed if the patient does not
    have a rash and typical early symptoms? According to the
    CDC a clinical diagnosis is necessary since symptoms vary
    greatly, it's often relapsing, and current laboratory tests for
    Lyme disease itself are unreliable, producing false positives
    and false negatives. This is a multisystemic disease often
    mimicking other diseases.

    5. What is the treatment for Lyme disease?
    Lyme disease patients respond to certain antibiotics and
    treatment of early infection should be at least 8 weeks.
    Patients with late stage disease often require more extensive
    treatment than most medical literature indicates. An initial
    Jarish-Herxheimer reaction (a temporary worsening of
    symptoms) occurs and must be distinguished from antibiotic
    allergy. Improvement from antibiotic therapy helps confirm the
    diagnosis.
       
    6. Why is Lyme disease controversial? There's debate in
    the medical community about what Lyme disease is and how
    long treatment should last. The confusion exists because of
    the lack of a definitive diagnostic test and the lack of a clinical
    definition of Lyme disease. The Centers for Disease Control
    (CDC) definition was intended only for  surveillance purposes,
    yet it is often mistakenly used to diagnose or fail to diagnose
    the disease. Further, there is no treatment protocol for Lyme
    disease approved by the Federal Drug Administration.

            
    For more answers to frequently asked questions visit
    this excellent site:
    Frequently Asked Lyme Questions
  • Often misdiagnosed as: Fibromyalgia, M.S., ALS (Lou Gherig's
    disease), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Parkinsons Disease, Alzheimers,
    Depression, Arthritis, Auto Immune Disease, and many more illnesses. It
    is often called the "Great Imitator".  

  • The second fastest growing infectious disease in the U.S.

  • Internationally known as Borreliosis because it caused by the bacteria:
    Borrelia burgdorferi, a spirochete.

  • An infection is caused by the bite of an infected tick. Initial symptoms
    after the tick bite are usually mild and go away with or without simple
    antibiotic treatment - leading to the myth that the disease is not serious.

  • Complicated. Problems occur if an infection is untreated, or is not
    treated quickly or long enough, allowing the spirochetes to disseminate
    throughout the body. The result can be a very serious multi system
    infection, potentially long-lasting and often difficult to treat.

  • A disease that can progress to disabling and debilitating symptoms
    and/or present life-threatening complications. LYME DISEASE
    SYMPTOMS must be treated early for quick recovery. Flu symptoms,
    and a rash at the bite (one rash looks like a bull's-eye, others look like
    bruises), painful joints and severe fatigue are often reported early signs,
    but do not always occur. Cardiac problems; joint, tendon and muscle
    pain; numbness; headaches; memory loss; and severe fatigue can
    occur at any time, along with many other disorders.

  • A risk for anyone who spends time outdoors in tick habitat in the spring,
    summer and fall.

  • A potential threat If you are an outdoors  person, live in the country,
    farm, engage in outdoor activities, have children, or have pets, you
    need to learn the facts about this disease, prevention tips, diagnosis
    and treatment options

  • Transmitted by both the nymph and adult ticks. Peak periods are April
    through September, though unfed adults that live through the winter can
    bite on warm winter days. The Black-legged nymph is the size of a
    POPPY SEED, the adult the size of a SESAME SEED. Infection can be
    passed from the fluids of a tick through a cut or a scrape. Yet only about
    50% of Lyme disease patients recall seeing the bite or the rash.
Prevention  Tips

    1. BEWARE OF TICKS. Ticks do not hop, or fly, they crawl toward a
    host when detecting body heat, or carbon dioxide.Ticks live in weedy
    areas. Tall grass, leaf litter, low shrubs, underbrush, and field and trail
    edges are favored. In highly infected areas, lawns may have ticks.
    2. WEAR LONG SLEEVES & LONG PANTS. Tuck the legs into your
    socks. Light-colored clothes make it easier to spot ticks.
    3. STAY IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAILS. Don't brush against leaves and
    weeds or hike through the underbrush.
    4. USE AN INSECT REPELLENT.  Follow manufacturers directions.Look
    for ones containing 25-35% DEET.
    5. CHECK FOR TICKS OFTEN. Crawling ones can be brushed off
    carefully.
    6. PLACE CLOTHES IN A DRYER .A 1/2 hr. dryer high heat cycle will
    destroy ticks which might be hiding in clothing.
    7. INSPECT YOURSELF AND YOUR CHILDREN for attached ticks after
    a shower. A shower  will not wash off biting ticks. Be sure to check hairy
    areas, the scalp, and behind the ears. Ticks crawl upward until they are
    stopped. Check legs, waistline, bra line, and armpits.
    8. USE REPELLENTS AND CHECK YOUR PETS before they enter the
    house for crawling or attached ticks.
    9. HUNTERS AND TRAPPERS SHOULD HANG ANIMAL CARCASSES
    AWAY FROM BUILDINGS. Put a bucket of bleach water under the
    animal to catch any ticks falling off. Wear rubber gloves when field
    dressing or handling meat to minimize chances for infection.

    HOW TO REMOVE AN ATTACHED TICK
  1. ASSEMBLE A TICK KIT containing: pointed tweezers or a tick-lifting
    tool, a magnifying glass, a small vial (a film container is good), and an
    antiseptic. (Our ILDA sells tick kits, see our Lyme news page for more
    information.)
  2. DON'T PANIC. Your chances of being infected are reported to occur at
    the end of the tick feeding cycle which may take hours.
  3. DO NOT USE a hot match head, nail polish or vaseline on the tick. The
    tick will regurgitate and transmit infection.
  4. REMOVE THE TICK. Grasp the tick firmly by the head with the tweezers
    as close to your skin as possible. Avoid squeezing the tick's abdomen.
    Pull straight out. Don't twist.
  5. SAVE THE TICK in a container with a piece of damp tissue or a blade of
    grass. Refrigerate it , mark the date and where the bite occurred, and
    watch for any unusual symptoms in the next 30 days. The tick can be
    sent for testing through your doctor's office if any early Lyme symptoms
    develop.
  6. CLEAN THE BITE AREA. Blot the bite area with antiseptic. If any tick
    mouth parts remain in the skin, be sure to tell your doctor.
  7. WASH YOUR HANDS THOROUGHLY with soap and water.
  8. CHECK WITH A PHYSICIAN as soon as possible.
  9. REMOVING TICKS FROM YOUR PETS. Pull the tick out carefully with a
    tweezers, or tick-lifting tool. Save the tick and check with your
    veterinarian for further action. Don't let your pets run free in tall grass
    fields or in woods.
***Disclaimer: The information provided on this web site should
not take the place of any quality medical care. It is provided for
patient information only. ILDA does not engage in rendering
medical services.
P.O. Box 221
Brighton, IA  
52540
iowalymedisease@
yahoo.com
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Don't be scared, but be aware, Lyme disease is out there!