I found the article on the expanding deer tick population (Jan. 7) very informative.
Yes, after the tremendous snowpack of winter 2016-17, ticks were everywhere. Consequently, I and many others came to find bites from ticks – also referred to as “nature’s dirty hypodermic needle” – not long after.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention admits that the actual number of people diagnosed with Lyme disease could be as much as 10 times higher than the number of reported cases – meaning that 300,000 cases occur each year.
Because of highly inaccurate diagnostic testing, people are left at the mercy of general practitioners and the many infectious-disease specialists who are unlikely to fully understand the many aspects of this complicated, horrible disease. Thousands like myself suffer without a hopeful resolution. In 2015, according to the CDC, 95 percent of “confirmed” Lyme cases were reported from 14 states, Maine and New Hampshire being on that list.
I hope to see more articles on Lyme disease. It’s high time for more awareness of and education on this scourge.
Ann Roberts
Alfred
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