Archive for the ‘Ticks’ Category

April – Lyme Prevention Month for Dogs: A Pet Owner’s Guide

https://www.avma.org/public/PetCare/Pages/lyme-disease.aspx

Lyme Disease: A Pet Owner’s Guide

Rolo_Small_250w
Rolo has Lyme disease, but thanks to early diagnosis and regular veterinary care, she lives a happy, healthy life with her family.
Lyme disease (Lyme borreliosis) is an illness that affects both animals and humans – what is known as a zoonotic disease – and is the most commonly reported vector-borne illness in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Transmitted through tick bites, the disease can be difficult to detect and can cause serious and recurring health problems. Therefore, it is best to prevent infection by taking appropriate measures to prevent tick bites and, for dogs, possibly vaccinating against the disease.

The bacterium that causes Lyme disease – a worm-like, spiral-shaped bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferi  – is carried and transmitted primarily by the tiny black-legged tick known as the deer tick. Deer ticks are found in forests or grassy, wooded, marshy areas near rivers, lakes or oceans. People or animals may be bitten by deer ticks during outdoor activities such as hiking or camping, or even while spending time in their back yards. 

Named after numerous cases were identified in Lyme, Conn., in 1975, the disease has since been reported in humans and animals across the United States and around the world. Within the U.S., it appears primarily in specific areas including the southern New England states; eastern Mid-Atlantic states; the upper Midwest, particularly Wisconsin and Minnesota; and on the West Coast, particularly northern California. The CDC maintains a map detailing confirmed cases of Lyme disease throughout the years.

Lyme disease is a reportable disease – which  means that health care providers and laboratories that diagnose cases of laboratory-confirmed Lyme disease are required to report those cases to their local or state health departments, which in turn report the cases to the CDC.

How to prevent Lyme disease

The best way to protect pets from Lyme disease is to take preventive measures to reduce the chance of contracting the disease. Even during the last weeks of summer, it’s important to remember that pets and people are at greater risk of being infected with Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases such as anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, or Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.

People with pets should:

  • Use reliable tick-preventive products. Speak with your veterinarian about what tick preventive product is right for your pet.
  • Work with your veterinarian to decide whether to vaccinate your dog against Lyme disease. Your veterinarian’s advice may depend on where you live, your pet’s lifestyle and overall health, and other factors.
  • When possible, avoid areas where ticks might be found. These include tall grasses, marshes and wooded areas.
  • Check for ticks on both yourself and your animals once indoors.
  • Clear shrubbery next to homes.
  • Keep lawns well maintained.

As noted above, there are preventive Lyme disease vaccines available for dogs, but they aren’t necessarily recommended for every dog. Consult your veterinarian to see if the vaccination makes sense for your pets. If your veterinarian does recommend that your dog be vaccinated against Lyme disease, the typical protocol will involve an initial vaccination followed by a booster 2-4 weeks later and annual boosters after that.

Lyme disease in pets – symptoms and treatment

Pets infected with Lyme disease may not show any signs for 2-5 months. After that time, typical symptoms include:

  • Fever
  • Loss of appetite
  • Lameness
  • Joint swelling
  • Decreased activity

Recurrent lameness also is possible, and the involved extremity may be tender. Inflammation of the joint can last from days to weeks, and may migrate from one extremity to another.

Horses with Lyme disease can develop lameness, joint pain, neurologic disease, eye problems and dermatitis.

Symptomatically, Lyme disease can be difficult to distinguish from anaplasmosis because the signs of the diseases are very similar, and they occur in essentially the same areas of the country. Lyme disease is diagnosed through a blood test that shows whether an animal has been exposed to the bacterium.

Antibiotics usually provide effective treatment for Lyme disease. However, it’s important to follow your veterinarian’s advice regarding follow-up care after your pet has been diagnosed with and treated for the disease.

Lyme disease is not communicable from one animal to another, except through tick bites. However, if you have more than one pet and one is diagnosed with Lyme disease, your veterinarian might recommend testing for any other pets who may have been exposed to ticks at the same time. In fact, because people and their pets often can be found together outdoors as well as indoors, a Lyme disease diagnosis in any family member – whether human or non-human – should serve as a flag that all family members might consult their physicians and veterinarians, who can advise about further evaluation or testing.

It’s a “One Health” problem

Because people and their pets often spend time in the same environments where Lyme and other disease-transmitting ticks are found, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) are working together to offer advice to households with both children and pets. People who have been diagnosed with Lyme disease should consult their veterinarian to determine their pet’s risk based on the animal’s lifestyle and possible environmental exposures. Likewise, people whose animals have been diagnosed with Lyme disease may want to consult their physician about their own or their children’s risk if they have concerns that the animals and family members might have been exposed to similar environmental risks.
Thousands of cases of Lyme disease have been reported in humans and animals across the United States and around the world. By knowing about Lyme disease and how to prevent it, you can help keep all members of your family — human and animal — safe.

Lyme disease in people

In humans, often the earliest indication of infection is a “bullseye” rash at the site of the tick bite – so named because it resembles a target. As the infection develops, symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and muscle and joint pain. The disease can progress to cause chronic joint problems as well as heart and neurological problems. As with pets, Lyme disease is not contagious from one person to another.

There are many things people can do to avoid exposure to tick bites. These include:
  • Avoid areas where ticks are found
  • Cover arms, legs, head and feet when outdoors
  • Wearilight-colored clothing
  • Use insecticides
  • Checking for ticks once indoors.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has more information about Lyme disease in people.

Related information

More from other sources

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**Comment**
  1. Our dog’s case of Lyme disease was picked up on a yearly routine test. He was fine and didn’t show any signs of infection. Our vet insisted that he be treated with over a month’s worth of antibiotics. Meanwhile, my husband spiraled down the vortex of doom for years. No blood test would pick it up. He tested negative on the two-tiered CDC testing. Thankfully, a wise “out of the box” doctor tested him for inflammation which was off the charts high. She said, “The CDC says you don’t have Lyme, I say you do,” and she treated him with two antibiotics – of which he improved immediately. Shortly after, I developed symptoms but also tested negative with CDC testing. By this time, I contacted a Lyme support group and became educated on the polarization within the medical community and had the list of WI LLMD’s in hand. We’ve been in and out of treatment ever since, having spent over $150K out of pocket, but have our lives back.
  2. Throw the CDC maps in the garbage.  This is a pandemic and in every continent but the Antarctica.
  3. Far fewer are getting the EM rash than is touted:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/02/21/lyme-disease-dont-wait-for-blood-tests-where-patients-have-bullseye-rash/ (read comment as well)
  4. Read up on the Lyme vaccine.  It caused Lyme-like symptoms in people and it’s done that to animals as well: https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/lyme-vaccine-dogs/
  5. While authorities keep saying this can’t be transmitted person to person, Lida Mattman PhD has gone on record saying something entirely different and she studied spirochetes for decades: https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/04/02/transmission-of-lyme-disease-lida-mattman-phd/
  6. There’s more than Lyme to worry about:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/10/30/study-shows-lyme-msids-patients-infected-with-many-pathogens-and-explains-why-we-are-so-sick/
  7. For more on prevention:   https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/04/12/tick-prevention-2019/

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Ticks

‘Horror’ Summer of Blood-sucking Ticks That Can ‘Cripple and Blind You’ On its Way

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/horror-summer-blood-sucking-ticks-14235057

‘Horror’ summer of blood-sucking ticks that can ‘cripple and blind you’ on its way

A five-year-old boy from Llandudno, in Wales, has already caught Lyme disease and the Health Protection Agency say case numbers are soaring

By Jim Hardy & Libby McBride

4 APR 2019

If a bug latches on to a human it can pass on a germ which can cause blindness, paralysis and meningitis (Image: WESSEX NEWS AGENCY)

Britain could be in for a record-breaking “horror” summer of blood-sucking ticks which can cripple people and even make them blind.

Following a mild winter and with the balmy weather this spring, fears are growing that the insects could have survived their hibernation in vast numbers and could be ready to breed and multiply.

The ticks spread Lyme disease with their saliva as they gorge on people’s blood – but it’s incredibly early in the year for an outbreak.

If a bug latches on to a human it can pass on a germ which can cause blindness, paralysis and meningitis .

The nightmare vampire-like mites, which feast on flesh, have already left a five-year-old boy suffering from Lyme disease .

Doctors are monitoring William Bargate who was bitten twice within five days by two separate ticks after playing at a Conwy Council owned park in Llandudno, Wales.

Three days after the initial tick bite on March 22 – which is understood to have been attached to William’s head for up to 36 hours – he began to suffer flu-like symptoms including tiredness, muscle pain, headachesand a fever.

Open-air lovers are warned that sex in the grass could have consequences (Image: WESSEX NEWS AGENCY)

His mother Adelle Bargate, 37, took him to see a doctor but says that as he did not have the visible circular rash associated with the disease it was thought he had just contracted a viral infection.

But days later, William was taken to see the doctor for a second time after being bitten again.

As well as being unable to move his neck, he had also developed severe and worsened flu-like symptoms.

The disease most commonly affects the skin, joints, the heart and the nervous system and is generally treated with antibiotics but some patients claim the symptoms can continue after treatment.

William Bargate, 5, was bitten by two ticks (Image: Daily Post/Adelle Bargate)

“On the second visit, the doctor acknowledged the potential infection and gave him 10 days worth of antibiotics” Ms Bargate said.

“But his symptoms were worsening and I was really concerned so I took him to A&E in Bangor on Saturday.

“They took him straight to the children’s ward where he was immediately sent for blood tests and that’s when they said they were treating it as Lyme disease.

“It’s really difficult to get a positive test of Lyme disease so as a precaution to his nasty symptoms he is now on a three week course of antibiotics.”

William was discharged from hospital on Sunday with three weeks worth of antibiotics, and his mum was told he will need to go for further tests this week to monitor the suspected disease.

A tick gorged with blood (Image: WESSEX NEWS AGENCY)

Mum Adelle continued:

“I’ve lived on the Orme for more than 16 years and I never had ticks pulled off me as a child, it only seems to have become a bigger problem over the last two years.

“I don’t think it’s being taken seriously enough in the area, I feel as though I am the only person who is making a noise about the number of them around here.

“Nobody seems to be doing anything about it and I’m worried more children will become sick because of them.

“Every time my children play outside I have to strip them and check them for ticks.”

Her son’s illness comes after she also found a tick on her eight-year-old daughter Briony’s head in June last year, which she suspects had been there for around two days.

He was prescribed antibiotics (Image: Daily Post/Adelle Bargate)

It was the second tick she had found on her daughter in a week.

At the time, a number of families also reported finding the tiny blood sucking insects attached to their child’s skin after they were playing in and around the same park.

Public Health Wales declined to comment due to patient confidentiality.

Now it’s feared that billions of the blood-sucking bugs which can send you blind or cripple you for life are ready to creep across the country.

How to avoid getting bitten by ticks

  • Stick to paths – Try not to stray from paths and avoid overhanging vegetation unless
    necessary. Ticks do not jump or fly so sticking to clear areas without tall
    grass or shrubs will decrease the chances of being bitten. If in an area
    where there is no footpath, try and avoid tall grass or shady areas that are
    surrounded by shrubs.
  • Light Clothing – When in areas of woodland remained covered, wear long sleeve tops and full-length trousers. Protect areas such as the back of the knees, armpits
    and the groin area. Opt for light coloured clothing in order to easily
    identify any ticks present that may become attached.
  • Footwear – Wellies are not only reserved for rainy days and are perfect when in high risk areas, as you can tuck trousers into the wellie boots. Tucking trousers
    into socks is also a great defence mechanism if wellies are not an option.
  • Regular checks – Ticks are very small and hard to identify when not paying attention. Check regularly whilst outside and also when home in order to remove any feeding ticks. The longer a tick is left attached the harder it is to remove.
  • Right tools – Avoid any home remedies to try and remove ticks such as covering the
    affected area of the body in Vaseline or nail varnish or even burning them
    off. Instead, use a tick removal tool, which are sold in outdoor shops and some
    supermarkets and pharmacies. This will help avoid aggravating the tick and
    lower the risk of secondary infection. When removed, use an antiseptic wipe
    and be aware of any symptoms of Lyme disease

They love to lurk in lush long grass and woodland glades, so couples getting frisky in the fresh air face getting bitten.

The Health Protection Agency says there are 2,000 cases of Lyme disease every year in the UK, but the number is soaring.

TV Question of Sport star Matt Dawson, the former England rugby international, needed heart surgery after he was bitten by a tick in a London park in 2015 and Lyme Disease spread through his body.

Matt Dawson on This Morning
Matt was bitten by a tick while walking in a park in 2016 (Image: Rex)

According to The Big Tick Project – a nationwide research survey in collaboration with Bristol University that looks at the number of ticks on dogs – the numbers are on the increase for several reasons.

“Many factors may have contributed to the increase in tick numbers across the UK” they said.

“Changing weather patterns mean prolonged periods where conditions are favourable for tick survival, particularly wetter summers and warmer winters.

“A lack of awareness amongst pet owners, leading to inadequate treatment and prevention may also play a significant role in contributing to problems for dogs.

“However, despite the growth of tick populations across the country, only 12 per cent of people are actually concerned by the risk posed by ticks.

“More worryingly, 47 per cent of pet owners were not aware that they too are at risk of infection from tick-borne diseases.”

Last summer mum Emily Porter warned parents to be on their guard after she spotted this tick embedded in her three-year-old son’s scalp after their trip to Lyme Park in Disley, Manchester.

The mum-of-two, from Marple,believes she was lucky to spot the tick so soon and managed to get it out with a tick remover.

She said at the time “I saw it whilst washing his hair. It stood out against the blond.

“I probably wouldn’t have spotted it in my other son’s hair and I only knew what it was as I am on high alert as we have a dog who has had them.

“Someone else would have probably thought it was a scab or a bit of dirt as they are so tiny at first.”

In a statement at the time, a spokesperson for National Trust-owned Lyme Park advised visitors to wear long trousers and check themselves afterwards to reduce the risk of infection.

The first symptom when someone is bitten by an infected tick is a red circular ‘bullseye’ skin rash which may subside after a week or two.

A high temperature, muscle and joint pain may then follow.

Most infections are not serious but in extreme cases it can cause paralysis, encephalitis and meningitis.

It is caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, found in the digestive system of deer, pheasants and mice.

____________________

For more on prevention:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/04/12/tick-prevention-2019/

Please know, the number of folks getting the “classic” bullseye EM rash is much smaller than is being touted:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/02/21/lyme-disease-dont-wait-for-blood-tests-where-patients-have-bullseye-rash/  Read comments at end of article as well.

This whole weather issue is a bunch of bunk. Independent Canadian researcher, John Scott, as proven tick proliferation and therefore the spread of disease has absolutely NADDA to do with the weather:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/08/13/study-shows-lyme-not-propelled-by-climate-change/

It’s the birds

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/11/07/ticks-on-the-move-due-to-migrating-birds-and-photoperiod-not-climate-change/

And, according to a UW Madison PhD in Climatology, there’s only ONE climate change computer model even slightly close to the truth and it shows the least amount of “change.”  He also claims the debate over climate change is infused with political games played to create policy.  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/11/17/uw-madison-phd-in-ecological-climatology-climate-change-computer-models-fudged-except-russian-model/

Lyme/MSIDS is hardly the only issue with a political motivation behind it

 

 

 

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Ticks

Tick Prevention 2019

Tick Prevention 2019

It’s that time.  

Similar to Lyme/MSIDS treatment, tick prevention is a multi-pronged effort and includes protecting yourself, your yard, and your pets.  

How to protect yourself

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Dress for success:  Research has shown permethrin treated clothing causes ticks to drop off or renders them unable to bite: https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/05/27/study-conforms-permethrin-causes-ticks-to-drop-off-clothing/.

  • wear light colored clothing
  • tuck pants into socks
  • wear a long-sleeved shirt and tuck into pants
  • wear a hat
  • wear shoes & socks
  • spray or soak all of it with permethrin. Permethrin is not recommended for the skin. You can also purchase pre-treated clothing. Wisconsin Lyme Network (WLN) is selling socks. Proceeds go toward training WI doctors: https://wisconsinlymenetwork.z2systems.com/np/clients/wisconsinlymenetwork/giftstore.jsp
  • Spray exposed skin with DEET or picaridin. Picaridin is less toxic and approved for kids. For instance the top 3 scores for repelling deer ticks was: pump spray Sawyer Picaridin 20% which lasted 8.5 hours, aerosol Ben’s 30% Deet Tick and Insect Wilderness which also lasted 8.5 hours, and pump spray Repel Lemon Eucalyptus which lasted 7 hours. Please know that “natural” products using things like essential oils have NOT been proven to repel ticks.  Go here to learn more:  https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/prev/natural-repellents.html
  • An FDA-approved organic compound found in grapefruit skin and Alaska yellow cedar trees that is a natural deterrent for many insects including the deer tick is being worked on by LSU researchers. Nootkatone has already proven to be both safer and more effective than existing commercial repellents, but is too expensive for consumer insect repellents.
  • stay in the middle of trails
  • when returning indoors, dry clothing on high heat for at least 10 min. Washing clothes will not kill ticks. High heat will.
  • take a shower and do a tick check. Have someone else look on your back and back of head.
  • If an embedded tick is found, remove it promptly by using a pointy tick removal tweezer. Get as close to the mouthpart as possible and pull steadily straight up without squeezing or twisting. Do not touch the tick with bare hands. Put in ziplock freezer bag and put in freezer you plan on having it tested. Remember; however, testing isn’t 100% accurate and you will not want to wait for results if you’ve been bitten. Your doctor should treat you prophylactially. It’s not worth the risk of infection. http://
  • be vigilant and educate others
  • For a video put out by Wisconsin DHS:  http://
  • Great video on how to educate kids on how to be tick smart:  http://

How to protect your yard

baseyardSOURCE: TickEncounter Resource Center. For an interactive map: https://tickencounter.org/faq/tick_habitat

  • Do not invite wildlife: There are numerous things you can do to discourage wildlife from your yard. Don’t put food outside, including bird feeders. Birds are probably the #1 transporters of ticks. Plant undesirable plants. Install fencing. Apply deer repellents. Clean up brush and leaves, and move woodpiles away from daily activity.
  • Spray your yard or use granules: Target areas where ticks live as well as perennial beds and along trails and paths in wooded areas. Normally, treatment is not needed in open and sunny lawns with short grass (although there are exceptions!).  http://
  • Eliminate Tick Habitat: ticks love wooded, shady areas that are humid. Rake leaves, trim shrubs and trees, and treat border areas, stone walls, sheds, and wood piles. Creating borders of wood chips or stone will remind you of tick-risky areas and danger zones. They particularly like Japanese Barberry, honeysuckle, and buckthorn: https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/01/20/manage-barberry-lower-ticks/. From experience I’ve learned not to use natural stone for landscape walls. Chipmunks burrow into the crevices bringing loads of ticks with them. I will only use interlocking stone now.     

5456904Remove Japanese Barberry, honeysuckle, and buckthorns

  • Target mice & rodents: Since ticks become infected by feeding on reservoir animals such as mice, chipmunks, squirrels, and deer, targeting these animals will help reduce the tick population. Ticktubes are tubes filled with permethrin treated cotton balls you place in rodent accessible areas so they will take the cotton back to their nests and they will rub their bodies against the treated cotton. Ticks feeding on the mice are then killed by the insecticide. Studies have shown risk to be reduced by 97% when using tick tubes. More info on how many you need for the size of your yard, etc.:http://www.ticktubes.com/facts.html

ticktube

How to Protect your pets

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  • Contain your pets: The easiest way to protect your pets is to keep them away from ticks, by create a safe zone. This can be done by using fencing (solid or invisible) and or putting them on a chain where they can only go in certain areas.
  • Groom pets:  Keep hair short to be able to identify ticks quickly. Brush hair and remove any ticks before bringing pets into the house.
  • Keep pets off all furniture and never let them into your bed.
  • Apply Tick control products on pets.  For an excellent example of products:  https://tickencounter.org/prevention/tick_control#top. There is a Lyme vaccine for dogs; however, it can cause Lyme disease symptoms just as the failed Lymerix vaccine did on humans. Cats also need tick protection. Make sure to discuss options with you veterinarian as they are educated with current information. Read all labels from products carefully.
  • Some tick facts: http://
  • More tick facts: http://

Resources:

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/05/11/tick-prevention-and-removal-2017/

https://tickencounter.org

https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/lyme-vaccine-dogs/

https://www.petmd.com/cat/parasites/evr_ct_10_ways_to_stop_ticks_from_biting_your_cat

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Prevention, Ticks, Treatment

Lyme Disease & Neurological Changes in Children

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/lyme-disease-neurological-changes-children-somer-delsignore/

Lyme Disease and Neurological Changes in Children

Clinically we find a multitude of neuro-psychological symptoms that present with children afflicted with tick-borne illnesses. Many of those symptoms did not exist prior to  exposure.  The number of children with anxiety disorders, OCD, mood dysregulation, ADHD, bipolar disorder, gender dysphoria and others are prominent and included in the working diagnosis and treatment plan of Lyme and other tick bhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/somerdelsignorekidslyme/orne diseases.

There are countless studies linking neuro-psychological impairments with Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses many of which suggest a larger percentage of children are affected.

A review of literature reveals studies by Brian Fallon and others that link Lyme disease to neurological and psychological ailments. New onset depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorders and other mental illnesses were postulated to be the result of a Lyme disease exposure. Fallon outlined several supportive strands of evidence throughout his research. He noted the incidence of mental illness is greater in those with Lyme disease versus other medical conditions. These psychiatric conditions were new onset and did not exist prior to contracting Lyme disease. Lastly, these mental illnesses improved after administering courses of antibiotic therapy. 

So what is thought to contribute to the psychological changes? Further evaluation thru single photon emission tomography or SPECT scans as it’s known revealed that those with

“Lyme disease typically have multifocal areas of decreased perfusion in the cortex and subcortical white matter” Fallon et al. 1997.

Cortical and subcortical perfusion is studied extensively with PTSD patients. The pattern of poor perfusion is similar to those who also suffer from a tick-borne illness. A result of poor perfusion can lead to  breakdown of the neural pathways  that provide an interconnectedness between all regions of the brain. Specifically, the subcortical regions play a significant role in emotional regulation. This is where your fight or flight response stems via control of Dopamine and other neurotransmitters.  Your cortical regions control sensory, motor and visual response. In the presence of Lyme disease, which has an affinity for the neurological system, inflammation occurs contributing to this poor perfusion state. It’s plausible to suggest neurological and psychological changes as it relates to tick-borne illness.

Studies directed specifically at the pediatric population were conducted by Rosalie Greenberg, a pediatric and adolescent psychiatrist. Although small, Dr. Greenberg studied 14 children diagnosed with bipolar disorder. She noted

  • 6 had mycoplasma
  • 3 had B. Burgdorferi the bacteria that causes Lyme disease
  • 10 had Babesia
  • 4  had Bartonella
  • ALL had tick borne diseases
  • Out of the 14 only 1 described typical joint pain associated with Lyme disease

Bransfield and others discuss links for autism spectrum disorder development in children as evident by the spirochete that causes Lyme can be passed from an infected mother to her unborn child. This can lead to neurological ailments as well as significant immune dysfunction. Supportive evidence showed upwards of 30% of those diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder had a positive blood test for Borrelia Burgdorferi, the spirochete that causes Lyme Disease. I’ll certainly delve into autism and links to infection in the coming weeks as I’m fascinated!

Children present differently. Perhaps it is the vulnerable blood brain barrier or naïve immune system that contributes. We know in children the brain continues to develop until they reach their early 20’s.  Studies looking closer at the link between childrens’ neurological status and tick-borne illness speculates around 70% to present with onset of headaches, fatigue, mood disturbance, irritability and acute outbursts where symptoms did not previously exist. Anecdotally, I too have witnessed these accounts.

Let’s postulate, just for fun, out of the 4 million children currently diagnosed with mental illness at least 30% or more of those have a tick-borne illness. That’s roughly 1.2 million children whom could be cured of their mental illness by merely treating the infection with courses of antibiotics and/or natural remedies.

This certainly would present a fundamental paradigm shift within the mental healthcare community but isn’t it worth it? Shouldn’t we all Think Differently about mental illness?

The take home message here for parents. If your child (or you) present with sudden onset of neurological changes, mood swings, ADD/ADHD, sleep disturbances, motor or vocal tics, fasciculations, unfounded anxieties and fears, rage, impulsivity, concentration issues, dyslexia, regression with milestones etc, seek out an evaluation for tick-borne illnesses.

Should your primary care provider refuse to perform the test or argue otherwise….find someone else!

Recent Tick-Task Force initiatives, passed by NY state legislators and championed by Senator Sue Serino, secured 1 million dollars to fund research that allow better understanding of the link between Lyme, tick-borne diseases and mental health issues. These funds will also help support preventative actions as well as raise awareness. It’s solid movement in the right direction. This recent legislation would direct the Office of Mental Hygiene and Department of Health to conduct these studies. Fingers crossed for the follow thru! You can find more information about critical legislation passed recently in the NY senate and full description of the tick-borne illness initiatives by visiting serino.nysenate.gov.

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**Comment**

More and more coming out daily on how pathogens are implicated in brain diseases and mental disorders.  This article should be shared widely as there are multitudes of children being misdiagnosed with mental illness that could be cured by treating the underlying infection(s).

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/04/07/missing-links-connect-the-dots-between-lyme-mental-health/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/03/26/lyme-its-known-involvement-in-mental-health/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/10/08/misdiagnosed-how-children-with-treatable-medical-issues-are-mistakenly-labeled-as-mentally-ill/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/10/03/treat-the-infection-psychiatric-symptoms-get-better/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2015/10/18/psychiatric-lymemsids/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/09/19/three-things-for-parents-to-watch-for-regarding-tbis/

One prominent Wisconsin Lyme doctor states that 80% of his Autistic and PANS patients have Lyme/MSIDS.  Please share widely.

 

 

 

 

 

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Psychological Aspects, research, Ticks, Treatment

New Health Center Opens For People With Tick-Borne Diseases in Pennsylvania

https://wnep.com/2019/04/10/new-health-center-opening-for-people-with-tick-borne-diseases/  News Video in Link

New Health Center Opens for People with Tick-Borne Diseases

POSTED 4:31 AM, APRIL 10, 2019, BY

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Testing, Ticks, Treatment