Keeping an eye on Lyme and the CDC..

Keeping an eye on Lyme and the CDC.. by Linda Rousay (Notes) on Wednesday, March 20, 2013 at 1:39pm With the current interest (and consequently little or NO interest from Healthcare providers, I thought we should explore Lyme related issues. The same tick that carries Lyme disease has another little nasty critter that can infect people with or instead of Lyme disease. Many people who are infected with Babesia microti feel fine and do not have any symptoms. Some people develop flu-like symptoms, such as fever, chills, sweats, headache, body aches, loss of appetite, nausea, or fatigue. Babesia parasites infect red blood cells so babesiosis can cause hemolytic anemia (from destruction of red blood cells). Babesiosis can be a severe, life-threatening disease, particularly in people who: do not have a spleen have a weakened immune system for other reasons have other serious health conditions (such as liver or kidney disease) over 55 years old BTW: The CDC (Center for Disease Control) in the US doesn’t want you to bother reporting or having your doctor report a diagnosis of Babesiosis. Tickborne transmission of B. microti primarily occurs in the Northeast and upper Midwest, however it has been reported sporadically nationwide. Of course if we aren’t to report these occurrences than how accurate can the statistics be? There have also been isolated reports from western Europe though the governments don't seem overly concerned. Anaplasmosis is another disease transmitted the same way, however the treatment for Lyme will effectively take care of this bad boy also. Human anaplasmosis (HA) wasn’t officially recognized until 1993. (Doesn’t that sound familiar?) Fever (over 102°) Severe headache Muscle aches Chills and shaking Nausea Vomiting loss of appetite weight loss abdominal pain cough diarrhea aching joints change in mental status including short term memeory loss and instant recall. Although people of any age can get human anaplasmosis, it tends to be most severe in the aging or immune-compromised. Severe complications can include respiratory failure, renal failure and secondary infections. The number of anaplasmosis cases has been increasing since the first cases of HA were reported in Minnesota in the mid-1990s.1,500 cases of HA were reported in 2011 in the state of Minnesota alone, which is remarkable given that reports are not encouraged, remember? In 1999 the CDC offered this in answer to the question, “If I get Lyme disease will I always have Lyme disease?” ‘NO; patients treated with antibiotics in the early stages of the infection usually recover rapidly and completely. Most patients who are treated in later stages of the disease also respond well to antibiotics, although some may have suffered long-term damage to the nervous system or joints. Approximately 10-20% of patients experience fatigue, muscle aches, sleep disturbance, or difficulty thinking even after completing a recommended course of antibiotic treatment. These symptoms cannot be cured by longer courses of antibiotics, but they generally improve on their own, over time.’ In 2012 the same question was answered with this; “Updated statistics and better reporting by physicians will require an amendment of the CDC’s findings from 1999.” IS THAT EVEN AN ANSWER, OR AM I REACHING HERE?