Lyme Disease Outbreak By Patricia Kelley

◊Where? Old Lyme, Connecticut

How? ◊ * In a one year period, fifty-one people were experiencing uncommon juvenile rheumatoid arthritus symptoms which include; swollen or stiff joints, rashes and high fever. ◊ * By 1977, scientists linked to the Icodes scapularis (black-legged or deer) tick as the transmitter of the disease and by 1982, the bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, was discovered as the culprit. ◊ * In a one year period, fifty-one people were experiencing uncommon juvenile rheumatoid arthritus symptoms which include; swollen or stiff joints, rashes and high fever. ◊ * By 1977, scientists linked to the Icodes scapularis (black-legged or deer) tick as the transmitter of the disease and by 1982, the bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, was discovered as the culprit.

How? ◊Causes ◊* Environmental changes in the Connecticut area are blamed for the advanced spread of Lyme Disease. ◊ o As Connecticut more industrialized, old agricultural farms were turned into new forests and a new habitat for deer. ◊ + Also, as the population in Connecticut increased, so did the human to deer contact. ◊ *Ticks can also move from pets to people* ◊Causes ◊* Environmental changes in the Connecticut area are blamed for the advanced spread of Lyme Disease. ◊ o As Connecticut more industrialized, old agricultural farms were turned into new forests and a new habitat for deer. ◊ + Also, as the population in Connecticut increased, so did the human to deer contact. ◊ *Ticks can also move from pets to people*

Treatments? ◊ * Federal funding for Lyme disease research began in 1991, and by 1997 a vaccine became available. Though by 2001, the vaccine was taken off the market ◊ * Symptoms can be eliminated with antibiotics, but only if the disease is caught early. ◊ * Federal funding for Lyme disease research began in 1991, and by 1997 a vaccine became available. Though by 2001, the vaccine was taken off the market ◊ * Symptoms can be eliminated with antibiotics, but only if the disease is caught early.

Untreated Lyme Disease… ◊o If the disease is left untreated, it results in a multitude of problems such as neurological disorders (twitching) and neuropsychiatric disturbances (memory loss, mood sings, sleeping problems) ◊ * The late-stage Lyme disease is often called the "great imitator" because it is has so many multi-faceted symptoms that it is commonly misdiagnosed as Multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue syndrome, rhematoid arthritus and other autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases. ◊o If the disease is left untreated, it results in a multitude of problems such as neurological disorders (twitching) and neuropsychiatric disturbances (memory loss, mood sings, sleeping problems) ◊ * The late-stage Lyme disease is often called the "great imitator" because it is has so many multi-faceted symptoms that it is commonly misdiagnosed as Multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue syndrome, rhematoid arthritus and other autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases.