Lyme Disease Dangers

* Re “Hikers, Pet Owners Warned About Ticks,” April 16.

This article reported that tick season has arrived, and that 139 suspected cases of Lyme disease were reported in California, including one case in Ventura county.

These figures give the reader a false sense of security regarding the danger of contracting Lyme disease in this area. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that Lyme disease is underreported by at least tenfold. That would indicate that there are at least 10 cases of Lyme disease contracted in Ventura county each year.

The infection rate in the ticks in Ventura County is unknown, because we have not tested ticks here for the Lyme bacteria since the 1980s. However, we do know that ticks in adjacent counties have tested positive for Lyme disease. Ticks attach themselves to birds, which carry the infected ticks to new areas.

I am a podiatrist, disabled by Lyme disease. Lyme disease is frequently missed by physicians because they are unfamiliar with it. One difficulty is that there is not yet an accurate test for Lyme disease, therefore its diagnosis depends on a physician’s recognition of the clinical picture of the disease.

After the initial tick bite and rash (which may not be noticed), the disease may become dormant, reappearing months to years after the initial bite with symptoms that can affect every system of the body. Lyme disease mimics conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, depression and Alzheimer’s disease.

If Lyme disease is recognized and treated promptly, its advance stage may be prevented. The best approach is awareness and prevention!

JONNA DUFF

Oxnard