Path: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!news-out.cwix.com!newsfeed.cwix.com!border1.nntp.ash.giganews.com!nntp.giganews.com!ngpeer.news.aol.com!audrey-m1.news.aol.com!not-for-mail Lines: 263 X-Admin: news@aol.com From: sinaj101@aol.com (Sinaj101) Newsgroups: sci.med.diseases.lyme Date: 11 Apr 2004 11:35:43 GMT Organization: AOL http://www.aol.com Subject: [sci.med.diseases.lyme] Lyme Disease Newsgroup FAQ Message-ID: <20040411073543.19765.00000175@mb-m10.aol.com> Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu sci.med.diseases.lyme:128186 Hmmm I think this site will tell you who the newsgroup leaders really are. I wish I could paste the whole site here. http://www.faqs.org/faqs/medicine/lyme-disease/ld-faq/ URL: http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/Oasis/6455/newsgroup-faq.html Maintainer: Milo7 and Art Doherty and Jonathan R. Strong Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for sci.med.diseases.lyme (The Lyme Disease Newsgroup) Lyme disease is a serious bacterial illness caused by a tick bite. It affects humans and animals, and can be found throughout the world. Table Of Contents Part 0: Administrative Issues 0.00 Introduction 0.01 Disclaimer 0.02 Where to get the current version of this FAQ Part 1: General Information 1.01 What is Lyme Disease (LD)? 1.02 What is an Erythema Migrans (EM)? 1.03 Why is the illness called "Lyme disease"? 1.04 How widespread is Lyme disease? Part 2: Medical Issues 2.01 How do I find good medical care for Lyme disease? 2.02 How do I find a local Lyme disease support group? 2.03 What symptoms are used to diagnose Lyme disease? 2.04 What tests are used to support a clinical diagnosis of Lyme disease? 2.05 Can I have Lyme disease if my blood tests are negative? 2.06 What is the CDC case surveillance definition of Lyme disease? 2.07 What are common misdiagnoses of Lyme disease? 2.08 What are current clinical views on Lyme disease? 2.09 Where can I find information on ongoing Lyme disease clinical trials? 2.10 What current treatments are available for Lyme disease? 2.11 What is a Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction? 2.12 How long does Lyme disease last? 2.13 Can Lyme disease affect pregnancy? 2.14 Can children get Lyme disease? 2.15 Can pets get Lyme disease? 2.16 Can insects other than ticks transmit Lyme disease? 2.17 Can Lyme disease cause depression or other psychiatric disorders? 2.18 Can people die from Lyme disease? Part 3: Health Insurance and Disability Issues 3.01 What are my options if my insurer refuses to cover treatment? 3.02 Where can I find help with social security and/or disability issues? Part 4: Lyme Disease Information Resources 4.01 What books on Lyme disease are available? 4.02 What newsletters and journals on Lyme disease are available? 4.03 What Lyme disease resources are available on the Internet? 4.04 What national, non-profit Lyme disease organizations are there? Part 5: Additional Information 5.01 What are tick-borne co-infections? 5.02 How can one prevent getting Lyme disease? 5.03 What is the proper way to remove a tick? 5.04 When is Lyme Disease Awareness Month? 5.05 Where can I find out about the Lyme disease vaccine(s), including information on safety and efficacy? 5.06 Where do I report vaccine adverse reaction(s)? Appendix 1. Common abbreviations and/or acronyms -------------------------------------- FAQ for the Lyme Disease Newsgroup Part 0: Administrative Issues 0.00 Introduction Information in the Lyme disease FAQ, version 1.5, July 17, 2000, was compiled by Milo7 (Milo7@aol.com), Art Doherty (doherty@utech.net), and Jonathan R. Strong (jrs@StrongGroup.com), and was created on behalf of the Lyme disease newsgroup: sci.med.diseases.lyme. Readers may redistribute or quote this document for non-commercial purposes provided that they include: an attribution to sci.med.diseases.lyme; the FAQ's version number; and the website where this FAQ may be retrieved (see Section 0.03). For any other use, please contact: Milo7 , Art Doherty , or Jonathan Strong . This document answers Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about Lyme Disease (LD). The newsgroup sci.med.diseases.lyme is intended for discussion about many aspects of Lyme disease, as experienced by patients, their caregivers, friends and family members, doctors and other medical professionals involved with the illness. It is particularly helpful for those who wish to learn about Lyme disease symptoms, treatment options, and prevention strategies. Anyone with an interest in Lyme disease is free to post, as this newsgroup is designed to foster dialogue between Lyme disease patients from all parts of the world, and provide an open forum for the exchange of international medical, scientific, and lay information. Constructive criticism and on-topic debate, general understanding and support, are encouraged. Topics discussed include: * Questions regarding any aspect of Lyme disease * Disease symptoms, presentations * Current research findings * Current treatments, both conventional and alternative * Coping strategies * Social and political issues regarding Lyme disease * Insurance and disability issues regarding Lyme disease Material PROHIBITED includes: * Commercial advertisements * Posting names of doctors (without their consent) * Flames, spam, name-calling, discrimination, and abusive behavior 0.01 DISCLAIMER The information in this FAQ is developed and provided by patients. It represents an accumulation of knowledge by people who are NOT medical professionals. As useful as the material presented in this FAQ may be, it must NOT be considered to be medical advice, and must NOT be used as a substitute for medical advice. It is important that anyone who has, or thinks he/she may have, Lyme disease should consult with a licensed health care practitioner who is familiar with the illness. 0.02 Where to get the current version of this FAQ USENET: This FAQ is posted regularly to the newsgroup: sci.med.diseases.lyme It is also available online at: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for sci.med.diseases.lyme http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/Oasis/6455/newsgroup-faq.html Part 1: General Information 1.01 What is Lyme Disease (LD)? Lyme Disease (LD) is a bacterial infection caused by a spirochete (a spiral- or corkscrew-shaped microbe) named Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb). There are about 100 US and 300 worldwide strains of the bacterium. Spirochetes (pronounced SPY-roh-keets) are maintained by animals in nature, where certain ticks bite infected animals, ingest the bacteria, and then transmit the infection through subsequent feedings. Humans and pets are incidental hosts to infected ticks. Ticks can be found anywhere--woods, seashore, even in your own backyard. They can bite year-round, although peak tick season in the northeastern United States is April to September; and on the West coast is November to April. Lyme disease is a potentially serious and debilitating illness, affecting not just the joints, but all parts of the body. The disease produces many symptoms (See 2.03, 2.14, and 2.17), several of which can imitate other diseases (See 2.06). No two cases of Lyme disease are exactly alike. This is due to unique differences in each person's immune response; variations in the strains of bacteria; the possibility of active co-infections (See 5.01); and/or the intensity of a given bacterial load. (Information from the Lyme Disease Foundation) For pictures of Borrelia burgdorferi (the Lyme disease bacterium): Borrelia burgdorferi (photos) http://www.lyme.org/gallery/b_burgdorferi.html For photos of Lyme disease ticks: Ixodes scapularis (formerly, the deer tick) http://www.ent.iastate.edu/imagegal/ticks/iscap/defaulttn.html Large Photo of Tick http://library.advanced.org/11743/english/schad/zbesche.htm Tick Biology http://entomology.ucdavis.edu/faculty/rbkimsey/tickbio.html LDF: See section LD/Ticks http://www.lyme.org/index2.html 1.02 What is an Erythema Migrans (EM)? The Erythema Migrans or EM, commonly referred to as the Lyme disease "bull's-eye" rash, is considered pathognomonic (or diagnostic) of Lyme disease. This skin rash varies in size and shape; often has expanding rings of varying shades, but can be uniformly discolored. It may be hot to touch, it may even itch. It may change in color from reddish to purple to bruised looking, and it can seldom be necrotic (crusty/oozy). Multiple rashes per bite and multiple rashes not at the site of the bite may indicate disseminated disease. Lyme disease usually begins with an EM rash and flulike symptoms (headache, stiff neck, fever, muscle aches, or fatigue). The EM can appear days to weeks after the bite. However, only 60% of light-skinned patients notice this rash. And recent studies indicate that as many as 40%-55% of people never present with a rash at all, but with a flulike illness as the first sign of onset of LD. If you get an EM after a tickbite (and/or multiple rashes), it is advisable to seek prompt medical attention. In addition, try to take a color photograph of the rash. In the photo, include a ruler next to the rash for measurement, and the date of the EM. You may need this information later on as a visual record of the EM; for your medical records; for future health insurance reimbursement, etc. Currently, as part of the criteria for its case surveillance definition of Lyme disease, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) acknowledges only EM rashes that are 5 cm (2 inches) or larger in size. This criterion is designed strictly for CDC's epidemiologic purposes, and not for the clinical diagnosis of Lyme disease. It should be emphasized that Lyme disease rashes appear in different shapes and sizes, including rashes smaller than 5 cm (2 inches). For pictures of Lyme disease EM rashes: Picture Gallery - Rashes (LDF) http://www.lyme.org/gallery/rashes.html Photos of Lyme disease rash (Texas Dept of Health) http://www.r09.tdh.state.tx.us/zoonosis/lymepict.html The bullseye (EM, or Erythema Migrans) rash http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/frankd/emrash.htm 1.03 Why is the illness called "Lyme disease?" Lyme disease is named after a small coastal town in Connecticut called Lyme, where in 1975, a woman named Polly Murray brought to the attention of Yale researchers an unusual cluster of more than 51 cases of mostly pediatric arthritis. In 1977, Dr. Allen Steere and Yale colleagues identified the new clinical entity and named it "Lyme arthritis." In 1979, the name was changed to "Lyme disease," when Steere and colleague Dr. Steven Malawista discovered additional symptoms linked to the disease: problems of neurologic involvement and severe fatigue. It wasn't until 1982 that the causative agent of the disease was discovered by Dr. Willy Burgdorfer. Burgdorfer published a paper on the infectious agent of Lyme disease, and earned the right to have his name placed on the Lyme disease spirochete now known as Borrelia burgdorferi. Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb) has since been the official taxonomic name of the Lyme disease spirochete. (Information from Forschner-Vanderhoof K., Everything You Need to Know About Lyme Disease)