TICK EXPLOSION IN UK! WHERE IS THE LYME DISEASE WARNING?

Saturday 4 June 2016

TICK EXPLOSION IN UK! WHERE IS THE LYME DISEASE WARNING?

In excess of 100 ticks found on one dog after a walk on Ainsdale beach. Southport, Mersyside UK.

These ticks appear to be a mixture of Nymphal and adult ticks in various stages of having fed so possibly acquired on more than one walk.
However this is an exceptionally high number for one animal to collect, it is not as if it rolled in a nest of larva ticks these ticks are in the case of Nymphs have already had one feed from a mammal - ie bird, mouse, rat, human and in the case of adults have already had two feeds from mammals, so have moved widely carried on whatever mammal they fed on.
Another scary point is that one normally doesn't associate ticks with arid landscapes such as beaches but generally with woodland and country areas. So it highlights just how robust the ticks are at surviving even arid conditions.
It is interesting to note the 1000+ shares on the post many of whom I suspect will be from patients already struggling with Lyme Disease and other tick borne diseases.
It is sad however to read many of the 140+ comments especially ones which illustrate a lack of awareness and knowledge about tick borne diseases or the risk dogs and dog owners are to such illnesses.

In the same week there was a report (in the LDUK Discussion group on Facebook) of a family in The Salford area visiting Lyme Park and having to go to A & E to have ticks removed. It took 2 1/2 hours and over 100 ticks were removed from one child - the hospital were reported to say they had had a number of cases from that area.

Since 2015 there has been much awareness of ticks from the Big Tick Project
http://www.mypetonline.co.uk/big-tick-project

Prof Richard Wall has been interviewed a number of times in which he sates that Ticks are found throughout the UK there are NO hot spot areas, and that Lyme is evenly spread.

There has also been awareness raising from Lyme patients with successive media stories and protests for a number of years. May is Lyme Disease awareness month and details of activities are posted here-
http://lymediseaseuk.com/2016/05/26/uk-lyme-disease-protest-2016-2/

Meanwhile our Government will take another year or two to respond to these risks with a NICE guideline process and three reviews on testing/diagnosis, treatment and transmission.
https://caudwell-lyme.net/2016/06/03/the-uk-governments-independent-lyme-disease-reviews-a-discussion-with-prof-chris-whitty/

Much more could be done now by Government, NHS, Media to highlight the risks so people can protect themselves, their children and their pets. The costs of not treating an early case of infection can be years of debilitating health problems, with NHS doctors clueless as to how to help us.

1 comment:

Louise4 June 2016 at 11:26
Thanks Joanne! Good to have something to refer to. Louise A
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Lyme Life written in 2009

I started suffering with arthritis in mainly my large joints especially my knees 6 years ago. The symptoms varied and I remember saying that every joint was affected except my elbows to one doctor. I was told it would be hormonal and to take the usual supplements cod liver oil or glucosamine ( I would certainly recommend buying shares in the companies producing these supplements) They had no noticeable affect.

All my symptoms deteriorated significantly over a few weeks,4 years ago. Hips shoulders and knees being the worst and I started with muscle weakness in upper arms and upper legs. I had difficulty standing and walking across a room. I was unable to walk upstairs and my husband was making plans to convert to a downstairs bedroom. I had seen 5 doctors and 3 Rheumatologists and put on steroids for Poly Myalgia Rheumatica diagnosis. I had been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and ME/CFS.

I have X rays and scans showing signs of osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid arthritis. ( later note.- the X rays done some years into treatment showed my hands completely normal no signs of inflammation or RA confirming how they felt - normal) I have been retired early from the Civil Service having lost my job not to mention my earning potential. My illness seemed to progress through my body not affecting the same joints left to right at the same time. I had bursitis in left hip, right hip, left elbow. I had synovial thickening in both wrists. At that time I could not lift and hold a magazine so lifting a kettle I could only do if a third full and with two hands. Each joint in my hands fingers feet and toes were affected. I had swallowing difficulties and many other symptoms. None of this describes the endless and awful pain whenever I moved or the tiredness but inability to get quality sleep.

Two years ago my GP gave me Amoxicilin for a sinus/throat/chest infection. All my arthritis symptoms improved. The course ended the symptoms deteriorated I started a second course the symptoms improved. The improvement was more significant than when I had started taking steroids. This led my GP to suspect Lyme Disease. I laughed because we do not travel abroad but she said they had had other cases in the surgery in the early stages of tick bite and Erythma Migrans rash. She said but you have not had a bite. I said oh yes I have I had two on my ankles with rashes, March 05 this was confirmed on her computer when I had seen a locum doctor. My worst symptoms were waking up feeling rigid and having to painfully flex every joint in my body before struggling to get up. The only other time I had experienced this was in May 2003 during a flu like illness like no other I had ever experienced. At that time I had a bite and similar rash on my right foot which lasted like the other rashes about four weeks. I had also consulted the surgery and it was dismissed as a virus. I walked our dog daily in the woods adjacent to our house where the deer roam, prime tick area. Thus started my very lengthy search about Lyme Disease leading me through Lyme Disease Action to a doctor who specialises in this illness. He confirmed my GP's suspicions. I never had a positive blood test but then they are antigen tests and there is much research that shows they are unreliable. In my case the year of steroids and many weeks antibiotics could have affected the results. So with a clinical diagnosis and following ILADS International Lyme and Associated Disease Society guidelines I continued on antibiotics for two years. Both my doctors continued to treat me despite of Health Protection Agency advising against long term antibiotics. I am now nearly 100% recovered I have no pain or muscle weakness. I can walk upstairs something I could not do for three and a half years. I can garden do house work and live a normal life. I still need to pace myself and with only a few months to 60 will not be looking to return to work. Life is such a joy. Sadly there is much controversy about Lyme Disease and doctors in UK are taught that it is so rare. Well where I live in Guildford I have been in contact with a dozen other people with it so perhaps not so rare as HPA would like us to believe. I am in touch with nearly 2000 other patients through a chat line Eurolyme most had been misdiagnosed with several other illnesses. Look at UK charity Lyme Disease Action if you want to read more about this illness. There are many MP's taking an interest in the problems surrounding diagnosis and treatment see above charity links into a recent meeting at the House of Commons.

Thank goodness there are some thinking doctors around who have courageously treated me against opposition and I have made such a miraculous recovery albeit rather a lengthy one. One day there will be many more people who are helped with their chronic illnesses when IDSA starts taking note of what our courageous LLMD’s are doing following ILADS Guidelines.

ME/CFS, Fibromyalgia, Poly Myalgia Rheumatica, Arthritis, Bell’s Palsy, MS,MN, ALS, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Heart Block, Stroke, Psychiatric, gastric problems the list is endless. Not all suffering from Lyme Borrelia but how many are even properly assessed for it.

UPDATE

UPDATE 10 January 2012