10 ms·

Why Your Dog Can Get Vaccinated Against Lyme Disease and You Can’t (2012)

122 points by omnibrain 11y ago

WillyF 11y ago
A family friend was one of the people who helped develop the Lyme vaccine. He invited my Dad to be part of the trial because my Dad spends a lot of time outdoors. It turned out that my Dad got the placebo during the trial, but they let him get the vaccine after the trial was completed. That was a long time ago. The vaccine has certainly worn off at this point.
zxyzzxxx 11y ago
I was disappointed over the lack of links in a web(!) article, so I did some research over this comment: Poland notes that since then, Lyme has become more widespread and is now the most common tick-borne disease in the country. Dr. Gregory Poland works in Mayo Clinic which is based in Minnesota. Here are statistics for Lyme disease in that country: http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/diseases/lyme/statistics.html http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/diseases/lyme/stati... http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/diseases/lyme/casesyear.pdf http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/diseases/lyme/cases... And for the entire United States: http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/stats/chartstables/casesbyyear.html http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/stats/chartstables/casesbyyear.html Looks like the number of cases is slowly growing. Charts don't seem to be normalized. The increase in cases could be due to increase in population.
- JonathonW 11y ago
  Here are the nationwide statistics for Lyme disease in the US: http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/stats/index.html http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/stats/index.html And some links to the CDC sites about other tick-borne diseases prevalent in the US: http://www.cdc.gov/ticks/diseases/ http://www.cdc.gov/ticks/diseases/ (most of these also include statistics on incidence and geographic distribution)
  - Tiksi 11y ago
    I was curious to see the rate of spread so I made this gif from the images in your first link: http://paste.click/DyTMLM http://paste.click/DyTMLM
- TheBeardKing 11y ago
  Minnesota is a state.
  - Practicality 11y ago
    A lot of people get confused because the term state can refer to either a federated state (like in the U.S.) or a sovereign state (hence the term, "head of state" for the leader of a country). Also, it's even more confusing because the states used to be considered different nations, united. Hence why they used to be called "these united states." Just an FYI.
    - moron4hire 11y ago
      Given that "States" is in our country's name, as well as the fact that they are "United", I think people should reasonably expect that its subdivisions are not called "countries".
tokenadult 11y ago
tl;dr: People who had irrational fears of vaccines claimed harms from the Lyme vaccine that probably were not caused by the vaccine. Sales dropped so much that vaccine manufacturers became reluctant to market the vaccine to humans. Similar irrational fears prompted the development of the "acellular" version of the pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine, which is less effective than the previously used version of the vaccine. Pertussis is a serious illness, and now that many people refuse to use the vaccine, and even the people who use it can only get a type of vaccine that is less effective than the first vaccine,[1] the whole population is needlessly at risk for pertussis outbreaks. [1] http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2013/05/15/peds.2012-3836.abstract http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2013/05/... http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22423127 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22423127
- ars 11y ago
  > Similar irrational fears prompted the development of the "acellular" version of the pertussis Those fears were not in the slightest irrational. People had really really bad reactions to the regular pertussis to the point that people routinely advised new parents not to get it for their children. The the new version is not as effective, that's true, but people refused the old version, and rightly so - the side effects were much worse. So what's better a vaccine that doesn't work as well, that people are willing to take? Or a vaccine that works well, but far fewer people are willing to take it? And on top of that since DTP was given as a unit, people refused the D and T parts as well (the Dr. may or may not have had it separately, but people weren't always so aware that the reactions were from the P, so refused the whole thing).
  - 3am 11y ago
    "Those fears were not in the slightest irrational. People had really really bad reactions to the regular pertussis to the point that people routinely advised new parents not to get it for their children." Simply not true. You can easily find my citations (including CDC). Please provide yours. "So what's better a vaccine that doesn't work as well, that people are willing to take? Or a vaccine that works well, but far fewer people are willing to take it?" The risk from Pertussis is greater than that of DTAP by a lot. This is like suggesting we take away seat belts because some people believe they'll trap them in a burning vehicle.
simoneau 11y ago
Lyme disease can usually be treated by antibiotics, especially in the early stages: http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/treatment/ http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/treatment/ This isn't mentioned by the article anywhere and must be part of the cost-benefit analysis for deploying a vaccine, especially one which is to be only 80% effective and requires booster shots.
- zxyzzxxx 11y ago
  Good point. The percentage also caught my attention. The article didn't mention any percentages of stage 1 cases versus later stages where long term problems can occur.
- giarc 11y ago
  Lyme disease is one of those diseases that present in so many different ways, and often looks like a million different things (see Avril Lavigne's case). Therefore people get sick and are unwell for a very long time before it's finally properly diagnosed. So for those that go outdoors a lot and live in an area with high population of infected ticks, vaccine is a good prevention strategy.
- vanderZwan 11y ago
  My younger sister had lyme and was nearly paralyzed before it was discovered. Both of my parents are GPs. My aunt caught Lyme when visiting us in Europe (note that the European and American versions are different), and had to visit 5 different doctors before she got her treatment. The first two thought she was just overworked. By the third time my uncle (neurosurgeon, living in Europe) suggested she had Lyme. The third and fourth (Canadian) doctors refused to check it. The last one finally was willing to send a blood sample to the lab. Lyme is very easily missed. It can manifest itself in a way that has nearly no visible symptoms, with only the patient claiming to be in enormous pain.
  - JoeAltmaier 11y ago
    My son was on an island at a retreat, and his neck and head started hurting like crazy. He was instantly diagnosed by his peers, the counselors and the resident nurse. He was ferried/driven 200 miles to a hospital the same day for antibiotics! So it varies to be sure.
cbr 11y ago
The patent for LYMErix has expired [1] and the vaccine is still considered to be safe and effective by the FDA [2]. Someone want to start producing it again? [1] http://patft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=5747294.PN.&OS=PN/5747294&RS=PN/5747294 http://patft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=... [2] http://www.jefftk.com/fda-lymerix.pdf http://www.jefftk.com/fda-lymerix.pdf
- pgrote 11y ago
  What about the prior lawsuits? Wouldn't it be inviting a fiasco? I wonder if a Federal law in the USA could prevent lawsuits for specific vaccines.
  - ghaff 11y ago
    Already exists: http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/10pdf/09-152.pdf http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/10pdf/09-152.pdf [EDIT: Actually this may not be correct (in this case) because LymeRix was a voluntary vaccination.]
    - fecak 11y ago
      The tl;dr is that in the US, vaccine manufacturers have no liability for the vaccines they produce and sell. Vaccine injury claims are heard without a jury, and paid out by a special fund which exists due to a per-dose tax on vaccines. Vaccinations like the one for Lyme being made unavailable isn't a decision based on liability or risk so much as low demand.
      - ghaff 11y ago
        Only some vaccines are covered however: http://www.hrsa.gov/vaccinecompensation/84521booklet.pdf http://www.hrsa.gov/vaccinecompensation/84521booklet.pdf The focus is on compulsory childhood vaccines although the government can add others at its discretion.
- mrfusion 11y ago
ghaff 11y ago
There have been Phase 1/2 clinical trials of a new Lyme vaccine by Baxter (which I believe is now owned by Pfizer) http://www.bnl.gov/newsroom/news.php?a=11537 http://www.bnl.gov/newsroom/news.php?a=11537. The trials seemed to go well but I don't know the status of further trials that could lead to this coming to market. Lyme's a real problem though with sharp increases in infection rates in New England in particular.
- voidlogic 11y ago
  >New England in particular. http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/diseases/lyme/casesyear.pdf http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/diseases/lyme/cases...
jivardo_nucci 11y ago
Sounds like the dog vaccine works in humans. How is dose adjusted (by weight, by surface area, etc.)? Anyone know the cost of the dog vaccine?
- voidlogic 11y ago
  I've considered doing this if they are compatible- Does anyone know for sure that they are the same? I assume I just take a dose for a great dane :P
  - blisterpeanuts 11y ago
    I've read that it's the exact same formulation, but you should check with a veterinarian on that.
pvaldes 11y ago
Not natural top predators in the ecosystem: explosion of coyotes, deers and deer's ticks. I'll wish to read some research about tick density in yellowstone after the arrival of the wolf. Is increasing?, decreasing?. Keeping some parts of the park relatively clean of deer's ticks?. Mmmh, both seem mutually exclusive species, that's interesting... http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/stats/maps/interactiveMaps.html http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/stats/maps/interactiveMaps.html http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/gray_wolves/images/USGrayWolfHabitat_03-22-2013.jpg http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/gray_wolves/ima...
hyperion2010 11y ago
Really though we should be actively hunting deer. Tick borne illnesses kill more people every year than wolves ever have.
abakker 11y ago
FWIW, having been exposed/infected with Lyme disease 3 times, any vaccine would be welcome. Really. I can't stress that enough. Due to a variety of factors, including deer overpopulation(1), the Lyme disease infection rate in Deer Ticks in New England is ridiculously high. While I was undergoing treatment for the 3rd time, my doctor indicated that probably 25% of ticks in that region carry the disease. I'd be all for a vaccine. It would be even better if we could vaccinate the deer agains being hosts somehow...maybe in a salt lick? (1) http://www.ct.gov/caes/lib/caes/documents/publications/fact_sheets/entomology/deer_&_ticks_fact_sheet.pdf http://www.ct.gov/caes/lib/caes/documents/publications/fact_...
- ender89 11y ago
  Eh, I feel like its not so bad after the first few times. I did get bell's palsy last time, and I walked around looking like a stroke victim for a bit, but not that bad all in all.
  - abakker 11y ago
    Didn't get that all the way, but started to. Ah the joys of liking to hike and work in the woods... Though it is conceivable that the same behavior will get me infected again now that I live in SF instead of CT, the much lower deer population has meant that I've not had a single tick bite in 3 years since living here. The one weekend I went back to visit my mom, I got one helping her clean up fallen tree branches in the lawn whilst being observed by a herd of deer.
- mrfusion 11y ago
  I'd think you'd have developed an immunity on your own?
  - abakker 11y ago
    If only it worked that way... sadly, we don't do that with Lyme, which is pretty damn hard to kill.
    - 11y ago
blisterpeanuts 11y ago
Lyme is a terrible disease. If not diagnosed early on, it will burrow into neural tissue and becomes very difficult to kill. Symptoms include chronic arthritis, cognitive disorders, chronic pain, dizziness, etc. It's not a disease you want to get. I strongly believe it was a terrible mistake to remove the vaccine from the market for human use. It seems that it was taken off the market from fear of lawsuits and not because it was proven harmful. 20 years ago, few physicians knew anything about Lyme disease. Even today, physicians don't necessarily recognize Lyme symptoms, but they really ought to; 300,000 people are known to have the disease in the U.S., but it's thought that many thousands of others suffer from Lyme as well but are not diagnosed.[1] If you diagnose it properly within the first two weeks, the chances are very good that it's completely curable with heavy treatments of antibiotics. If you don't, it becomes much harder to treat. Some have tried IV infusions of antibiotics, with varying degrees of success. There are strategies that could be applied to greatly reduce the incidence of Lyme disease. For example, reintroduction of the Northeastern timber rattler would help cut down the mouse population which plays a large role in the deer tick's life cycle. One snake can kill dozens or hundreds of mice a year, reducing the tick population by thousands. These snakes were largely eradicated from the Northeast which has probably contributed to a rodent population boom.[2] Culling the deer population would also greatly help. Several years ago, Monhegan Island in Maine drastically reduced the deer herds with a special hunt, and since that time there have been almost no new cases of Lyme disease reported.[3] I heard of a similar experiment in a county in Connecticut, with similar results. It came up for a vote on Long Island last year to cull the deer population but it was voted down. Deer are beautiful animals, but their population has exploded in recent decades. In the 1940s there were thought to be about 300,000 deer in the U.S. (I've read actually that there were around 500,000 in the early 20th C., and unrestricted hunting brought that number down to 30,000 by the 1940s, so it's unclear, but drastically fewer than today in any case), and now there are estimated to be over 32 million deer. Not just Lyme carriers, they are a menace on the roads and an estimated 200 people die every year in car-deer collisions, plus billions of dollars of damage.[4] Increased hunting permits to reduce the deer population, reintroduction of predators such as cougars, bobcats, black bear, and wolves into their indigenous habitats in the Northeast (coyotes have been thriving and need no assistance), reintroduction of snakes like the timber rattler, and of course tremendous precautions and application of DEET when venturing into the grasslands and woods will all help to reduce Lyme disease. I would also advocate more research grants to study the spirochete bacteria and find genetic markers needed to make more effective vaccines and treatments. This is an epidemic that people are only beginning to recognize but there are solutions to be found, if we get moving. 1. http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/stats/humancases.html http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/stats/humancases.html 2. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130806091815.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130806091815.ht... 3. http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/2013/07/13/ticks-stealth-and-human-nature-hamper-lyme-disease-prevention/05tnWMvLznGYCJXoevvF4I/story.html http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/2013/07... 4. http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2012/10/24/267786.htm http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2012/10/24/267...

122 points by omnibrain 11y ago

A family friend was one of the people who helped develop the Lyme vaccine. He invited my Dad to be part of the trial because my Dad spends a lot of time outdoors. It turned out that my Dad got the placebo during the trial, but they let him get the vaccine after the trial was completed. That was a long time ago. The vaccine has certainly worn off at this point.

zxyzzxxx 11y ago

I was disappointed over the lack of links in a web(!) article, so I did some research over this comment: Poland notes that since then, Lyme has become more widespread and is now the most common tick-borne disease in the country. Dr. Gregory Poland works in Mayo Clinic which is based in Minnesota. Here are statistics for Lyme disease in that country: http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/diseases/lyme/statistics.html http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/diseases/lyme/stati... http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/diseases/lyme/casesyear.pdf http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/diseases/lyme/cases... And for the entire United States: http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/stats/chartstables/casesbyyear.html http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/stats/chartstables/casesbyyear.html Looks like the number of cases is slowly growing. Charts don't seem to be normalized. The increase in cases could be due to increase in population.

JonathonW 11y ago
Here are the nationwide statistics for Lyme disease in the US: http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/stats/index.html http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/stats/index.html And some links to the CDC sites about other tick-borne diseases prevalent in the US: http://www.cdc.gov/ticks/diseases/ http://www.cdc.gov/ticks/diseases/ (most of these also include statistics on incidence and geographic distribution)
- Tiksi 11y ago
  I was curious to see the rate of spread so I made this gif from the images in your first link: http://paste.click/DyTMLM http://paste.click/DyTMLM
TheBeardKing 11y ago
Minnesota is a state.
- Practicality 11y ago
  A lot of people get confused because the term state can refer to either a federated state (like in the U.S.) or a sovereign state (hence the term, "head of state" for the leader of a country). Also, it's even more confusing because the states used to be considered different nations, united. Hence why they used to be called "these united states." Just an FYI.
  - moron4hire 11y ago
    Given that "States" is in our country's name, as well as the fact that they are "United", I think people should reasonably expect that its subdivisions are not called "countries".

tokenadult 11y ago

tl;dr: People who had irrational fears of vaccines claimed harms from the Lyme vaccine that probably were not caused by the vaccine. Sales dropped so much that vaccine manufacturers became reluctant to market the vaccine to humans. Similar irrational fears prompted the development of the "acellular" version of the pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine, which is less effective than the previously used version of the vaccine. Pertussis is a serious illness, and now that many people refuse to use the vaccine, and even the people who use it can only get a type of vaccine that is less effective than the first vaccine,[1] the whole population is needlessly at risk for pertussis outbreaks. [1] http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2013/05/15/peds.2012-3836.abstract http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2013/05/... http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22423127 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22423127

ars 11y ago
> Similar irrational fears prompted the development of the "acellular" version of the pertussis Those fears were not in the slightest irrational. People had really really bad reactions to the regular pertussis to the point that people routinely advised new parents not to get it for their children. The the new version is not as effective, that's true, but people refused the old version, and rightly so - the side effects were much worse. So what's better a vaccine that doesn't work as well, that people are willing to take? Or a vaccine that works well, but far fewer people are willing to take it? And on top of that since DTP was given as a unit, people refused the D and T parts as well (the Dr. may or may not have had it separately, but people weren't always so aware that the reactions were from the P, so refused the whole thing).
- 3am 11y ago
  "Those fears were not in the slightest irrational. People had really really bad reactions to the regular pertussis to the point that people routinely advised new parents not to get it for their children." Simply not true. You can easily find my citations (including CDC). Please provide yours. "So what's better a vaccine that doesn't work as well, that people are willing to take? Or a vaccine that works well, but far fewer people are willing to take it?" The risk from Pertussis is greater than that of DTAP by a lot. This is like suggesting we take away seat belts because some people believe they'll trap them in a burning vehicle.

simoneau 11y ago

Lyme disease can usually be treated by antibiotics, especially in the early stages: http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/treatment/ http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/treatment/ This isn't mentioned by the article anywhere and must be part of the cost-benefit analysis for deploying a vaccine, especially one which is to be only 80% effective and requires booster shots.

zxyzzxxx 11y ago
Good point. The percentage also caught my attention. The article didn't mention any percentages of stage 1 cases versus later stages where long term problems can occur.
giarc 11y ago
Lyme disease is one of those diseases that present in so many different ways, and often looks like a million different things (see Avril Lavigne's case). Therefore people get sick and are unwell for a very long time before it's finally properly diagnosed. So for those that go outdoors a lot and live in an area with high population of infected ticks, vaccine is a good prevention strategy.
vanderZwan 11y ago
My younger sister had lyme and was nearly paralyzed before it was discovered. Both of my parents are GPs. My aunt caught Lyme when visiting us in Europe (note that the European and American versions are different), and had to visit 5 different doctors before she got her treatment. The first two thought she was just overworked. By the third time my uncle (neurosurgeon, living in Europe) suggested she had Lyme. The third and fourth (Canadian) doctors refused to check it. The last one finally was willing to send a blood sample to the lab. Lyme is very easily missed. It can manifest itself in a way that has nearly no visible symptoms, with only the patient claiming to be in enormous pain.
- JoeAltmaier 11y ago
  My son was on an island at a retreat, and his neck and head started hurting like crazy. He was instantly diagnosed by his peers, the counselors and the resident nurse. He was ferried/driven 200 miles to a hospital the same day for antibiotics! So it varies to be sure.

cbr 11y ago

The patent for LYMErix has expired [1] and the vaccine is still considered to be safe and effective by the FDA [2]. Someone want to start producing it again? [1] http://patft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=5747294.PN.&OS=PN/5747294&RS=PN/5747294 http://patft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=... [2] http://www.jefftk.com/fda-lymerix.pdf http://www.jefftk.com/fda-lymerix.pdf

pgrote 11y ago
What about the prior lawsuits? Wouldn't it be inviting a fiasco? I wonder if a Federal law in the USA could prevent lawsuits for specific vaccines.
- ghaff 11y ago
  Already exists: http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/10pdf/09-152.pdf http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/10pdf/09-152.pdf [EDIT: Actually this may not be correct (in this case) because LymeRix was a voluntary vaccination.]
  - fecak 11y ago
    The tl;dr is that in the US, vaccine manufacturers have no liability for the vaccines they produce and sell. Vaccine injury claims are heard without a jury, and paid out by a special fund which exists due to a per-dose tax on vaccines. Vaccinations like the one for Lyme being made unavailable isn't a decision based on liability or risk so much as low demand.
    - ghaff 11y ago
      Only some vaccines are covered however: http://www.hrsa.gov/vaccinecompensation/84521booklet.pdf http://www.hrsa.gov/vaccinecompensation/84521booklet.pdf The focus is on compulsory childhood vaccines although the government can add others at its discretion.
mrfusion 11y ago

ghaff 11y ago

There have been Phase 1/2 clinical trials of a new Lyme vaccine by Baxter (which I believe is now owned by Pfizer) http://www.bnl.gov/newsroom/news.php?a=11537 http://www.bnl.gov/newsroom/news.php?a=11537. The trials seemed to go well but I don't know the status of further trials that could lead to this coming to market. Lyme's a real problem though with sharp increases in infection rates in New England in particular.

voidlogic 11y ago
>New England in particular. http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/diseases/lyme/casesyear.pdf http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/diseases/lyme/cases...

jivardo_nucci 11y ago

Sounds like the dog vaccine works in humans. How is dose adjusted (by weight, by surface area, etc.)? Anyone know the cost of the dog vaccine?

voidlogic 11y ago
I've considered doing this if they are compatible- Does anyone know for sure that they are the same? I assume I just take a dose for a great dane :P
- blisterpeanuts 11y ago
  I've read that it's the exact same formulation, but you should check with a veterinarian on that.

pvaldes 11y ago

Not natural top predators in the ecosystem: explosion of coyotes, deers and deer's ticks. I'll wish to read some research about tick density in yellowstone after the arrival of the wolf. Is increasing?, decreasing?. Keeping some parts of the park relatively clean of deer's ticks?. Mmmh, both seem mutually exclusive species, that's interesting... http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/stats/maps/interactiveMaps.html http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/stats/maps/interactiveMaps.html http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/gray_wolves/images/USGrayWolfHabitat_03-22-2013.jpg http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/gray_wolves/ima...

hyperion2010 11y ago

Really though we should be actively hunting deer. Tick borne illnesses kill more people every year than wolves ever have.

abakker 11y ago

FWIW, having been exposed/infected with Lyme disease 3 times, any vaccine would be welcome. Really. I can't stress that enough. Due to a variety of factors, including deer overpopulation(1), the Lyme disease infection rate in Deer Ticks in New England is ridiculously high. While I was undergoing treatment for the 3rd time, my doctor indicated that probably 25% of ticks in that region carry the disease. I'd be all for a vaccine. It would be even better if we could vaccinate the deer agains being hosts somehow...maybe in a salt lick? (1) http://www.ct.gov/caes/lib/caes/documents/publications/fact_sheets/entomology/deer_&_ticks_fact_sheet.pdf http://www.ct.gov/caes/lib/caes/documents/publications/fact_...

ender89 11y ago
Eh, I feel like its not so bad after the first few times. I did get bell's palsy last time, and I walked around looking like a stroke victim for a bit, but not that bad all in all.
- abakker 11y ago
  Didn't get that all the way, but started to. Ah the joys of liking to hike and work in the woods... Though it is conceivable that the same behavior will get me infected again now that I live in SF instead of CT, the much lower deer population has meant that I've not had a single tick bite in 3 years since living here. The one weekend I went back to visit my mom, I got one helping her clean up fallen tree branches in the lawn whilst being observed by a herd of deer.
mrfusion 11y ago
I'd think you'd have developed an immunity on your own?
- abakker 11y ago
  If only it worked that way... sadly, we don't do that with Lyme, which is pretty damn hard to kill.
  - 11y ago

blisterpeanuts 11y ago

Lyme is a terrible disease. If not diagnosed early on, it will burrow into neural tissue and becomes very difficult to kill. Symptoms include chronic arthritis, cognitive disorders, chronic pain, dizziness, etc. It's not a disease you want to get. I strongly believe it was a terrible mistake to remove the vaccine from the market for human use. It seems that it was taken off the market from fear of lawsuits and not because it was proven harmful. 20 years ago, few physicians knew anything about Lyme disease. Even today, physicians don't necessarily recognize Lyme symptoms, but they really ought to; 300,000 people are known to have the disease in the U.S., but it's thought that many thousands of others suffer from Lyme as well but are not diagnosed.[1] If you diagnose it properly within the first two weeks, the chances are very good that it's completely curable with heavy treatments of antibiotics. If you don't, it becomes much harder to treat. Some have tried IV infusions of antibiotics, with varying degrees of success. There are strategies that could be applied to greatly reduce the incidence of Lyme disease. For example, reintroduction of the Northeastern timber rattler would help cut down the mouse population which plays a large role in the deer tick's life cycle. One snake can kill dozens or hundreds of mice a year, reducing the tick population by thousands. These snakes were largely eradicated from the Northeast which has probably contributed to a rodent population boom.[2] Culling the deer population would also greatly help. Several years ago, Monhegan Island in Maine drastically reduced the deer herds with a special hunt, and since that time there have been almost no new cases of Lyme disease reported.[3] I heard of a similar experiment in a county in Connecticut, with similar results. It came up for a vote on Long Island last year to cull the deer population but it was voted down. Deer are beautiful animals, but their population has exploded in recent decades. In the 1940s there were thought to be about 300,000 deer in the U.S. (I've read actually that there were around 500,000 in the early 20th C., and unrestricted hunting brought that number down to 30,000 by the 1940s, so it's unclear, but drastically fewer than today in any case), and now there are estimated to be over 32 million deer. Not just Lyme carriers, they are a menace on the roads and an estimated 200 people die every year in car-deer collisions, plus billions of dollars of damage.[4] Increased hunting permits to reduce the deer population, reintroduction of predators such as cougars, bobcats, black bear, and wolves into their indigenous habitats in the Northeast (coyotes have been thriving and need no assistance), reintroduction of snakes like the timber rattler, and of course tremendous precautions and application of DEET when venturing into the grasslands and woods will all help to reduce Lyme disease. I would also advocate more research grants to study the spirochete bacteria and find genetic markers needed to make more effective vaccines and treatments. This is an epidemic that people are only beginning to recognize but there are solutions to be found, if we get moving. 1. http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/stats/humancases.html http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/stats/humancases.html 2. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130806091815.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130806091815.ht... 3. http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/2013/07/13/ticks-stealth-and-human-nature-hamper-lyme-disease-prevention/05tnWMvLznGYCJXoevvF4I/story.html http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/2013/07... 4. http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2012/10/24/267786.htm http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2012/10/24/267...