Lyme Disease: What You Need to Know NOW

On Thursday November 2, Wilmington University's College of Health Professions hosted a panel discussion on Lyme Disease. This event was part of Wilmington University's speaker series. Find the latest updates on events here: http://www.wilmu.edu/speakerseries/

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Lyme disease  is the fastest-growing infectious disease in the United States. An average of more than 825 cases are diagnosed daily, the majority of which show no outward signs of a bite, including the infamous "bullseye," a target-like rash that appears in less than 50% of reported cases. The number of reported cases per year has increased more than 25 times the number of cases reported in 1982, when official record keeping was initiated. Known as "the great imitator" because the disease is often misdiagnosed as everything from multiple sclerosis to fibromyalgia to mental illness, there are more than 300 identified strains of Lyme disease, 100 of which have been documented in the U.S. Many who have been infected by a tick bite are not immediately detected; the disease is not easily diagnosed; and its symptoms are misleading because it can resist both the human immune system and many antibiotics. Lyme infects both humans and other animals, including our pets, and it is not the only tick-borne illness that can do so. In all cases, lack of prevention, timely diagnosis, and proper treatment can potentially lead to severe complications and complete debilitation.