Five Facts On Lyme Disease

1: Lyme disease was first recognized over 30 years ago, yet it is the fastest-growing infectious disease in America.

2. Lyme and tick borne illnesses have been reported in all 50 states and around the world. Insurance companies reported in 2010 that Germany and Sweden had 782,000 new cases.

3. A common assumption is after a tick bite that a rash appears. This is not true. Only 50 percent of biopsy positive Lyme get a bulls eye rash.

4. People get infected by a tick bite or through the placenta wall. Deer mice and other animals are reservoirs for transmitting Lyme. Dogs and horses however get sick from Lyme.

5. If Lyme is not treated early it can cause debilitating chronic symptoms. One inch of Lyme bacteria in the human body equals about 100,000 spiral shaped spirochetes that can bore through bone, tissue and cell walls.

* reference "Beating Lyme" by Constance Bean and forward Dr. Leslie Fein