Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
LYME DISEASE AND WEST NILE VIRUS
Since the first diagnosed case of Lyme disease was isolated in Lyme, Connecticut, in
1975, it has spread across the United States; it is the number one (and fastest-grow-
ing) vector-borne infectious disease. In 2011, 2,376 cases were reported in Wiscon-
sin—the seventh-most in the nation, more than fourtimes higher than a decade earli-
er.
The cause of Lyme disease is
Borrelia burgdorferi,
carried and transmitted to hu-
mansviathe
Ixodes dammini,
ordeertick.Thedeertickisnottheonlytick(or,some
think,insect)tocarrythebacterium,butinWisconsinitistheprimarycarrier.“Deer”
may be a misnomer, since many scientists now believe foxes, coyotes, and other
predator scavengers may be the primary keys to spreading the disease. Furthermore,
deernumbershaveshrunk,whileLymedisease caseshaveskyrocketed. Distinguish-
ing the maddeningly small deer tick from the more ubiquitous dog tick is easy. The
deer tick is exceedingly small—the head and body, 2-4 mm, are only slightly larger
than a sesame seed—and reddish brown and black. Dog ticks are twice the size and
brown, usually with white markings on the back.
Lyme disease diagnosis and treatment are enormously controversial. Some ex-
perts think actual cases could be more than 10 times as high as confirmed cases.
Alarmingly, another bacterium called
Borrelia miyamotoi
closely resembles the
Lyme bacterium and has also appeared in 2013.
West Nile virus has appeared from literally out of nowhere, with more than 4,000
cases and 240 deaths per annum within a half-decade. Wisconsin had 48 cases in the
first outbreak in 2002, then it dipped to none in 2010, but in 2012 it jumped back
to 26 confirmed cases. This is typical. Once, Colorado went from none to the coun-
try'shotspotinoneyear.Spreadbymosquitoeswhofeedoninfectedbirds,thevirus
generally affects those with weakened immune systems and affects the spinal cord
and brain membranes, causing encephalitic symptoms. The virus is not transmitted
by person-to-person contact. No vaccine exists.
PREVENTION
Lyme disease is highly preventable. Deer ticks are active year-round, so you've al-
ways got to be aware. Deer ticks cannot fly or jump. They cling to vegetation and
