[at-l] An AT'02 hiker's Lyme Disese Website

[thornel@attglobal.net (W F Thorneloe)]

Which is unfortunate, as not all of the information or advice is credible.
The idea of taking several thousand mg of Vit C a day is a good example of
a good idea carried beyond benefit - other than to the pharmaceutical maker.

Because of the recent droughts and warm winters, any season should be
considered Lyme season - although I'd be really surprised to find them
while snow is on the ground. Typically these wonderful predators await our
passing on grasses and fern leaves, jumping and alighting on our legs and
arms and finding a nice quiet place for their blood feast. The tick
carrying Lyme is very small - fully engorged around the size of the "M" on
a dime. Hence, it is usual that Lyme victims do not know about the bite. It
typically needs to feed 48 hours to transmit the disease, although similar
diseases may be transmitted in 24 hours or less. The Deer Tick is a bit
more common further north, as noted by the name from the Lyme River in New
England. It took several years to demonstrate the vague symptoms were an
infectious disease. There is considerable controversy surrounding chronic
Lyme disease, whether it is a chronic infection or an immunologic
phenomenon or an urban myth.

The general advice is that if you find a tick on you, take the Doxycycline
- one dose and be done but vigilant. Another good general advice is to give
yourself a sponge bath at least every 48 hours - using a bandana and water
to abrade dirt and possible critters off of your nasty hiker hide. The
obvious question is whether a hiker should take Doxycycline at other times
for suspicion of exposure. No one really knows.

OrangeBug

At 10:17 PM 12/11/02 +0000, MadAussieInLondon wrote:
>wow. bigtime scary reading!!