Lyme disease epidemic increases in summer

Lyme disease epidemic increases in summer
With over 300 known strains of the Lyme disease bacteria worldwide, Lyme disease is the fastest growing infectious illness in the United States, growing at five times the rates of the AIDS and HIV infections, according to the Turn the Corner Foundation.

Lyme disease has been reported in 49 states, every continent and nearly every area including Canada and the Caribbean, a press release from the New York-based foundation notes, and affects people from infants to the elderly.

As the weather becomes warmer during the summer months, the dangers of contracting Lyme disease increase, the release warns, as new research shows that warmer weather and a higher moisture content lead to a higher increase in infected tick populations.

Lyme disease is a multisystem disease, which can affect virtually every tissue and every organ of the human body. Symptoms of Lyme disease can range widely and include migraines, paralysis, joint pain, cardiac trouble, overall malaise and even death.

According to the foundation, the disease is often misdiagnosed because symptoms mirror other medical problems such as multiple sclerosis, arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, lupus or Alzheimer’s disease.

The disease is predominately transmitted by deer ticks that live in areas with long grass, shrubs, trees and/or underbrush and many outdoor activities put people at risk.

The Turn the Corner Foundation is dedicated to the support of research, education, awareness and innovative treatments for Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases. In support of its mission, Turn the Corner recently launched a Lyme Disease Educational Series along with several of the country’s top Lyme-literate physicians to educate communities in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut regarding the seriousness of this disease. To sponsor the program in your community, school or place of employment, contact the foundation at (212) 580-6262 or visit www.turnthecorner.org.

Staci and Rich Grodin founded Turn the Corner Foundation in February 2002 to help increase awareness, education and innovative treatments for Lyme disease.

Since its inception, the foundation has raised close to $1 million, which has been dedicated to a variety of Lyme disease research projects.