Volume: 2 Table of Contents: I. LDF: LD Awareness Week Press Conference Statement II. LYMENET: Lyme Disease Symposium, 7/9/94, San Rafael, CA III. BR J RHEUMATOL: Evidence for Lyme disease in urban park workers: a potential new health hazard for city inhabitants. IV. J MED ENTOMOL: Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) deer tick mesoscale populations in natural areas: effects of deer, area, and location. V. How to Subscribe, Contribute, and Get Back Issues Newsletter: *********************************************************************** * The National Lyme Disease Network * * LymeNet Newsletter * *********************************************************************** IDX# Volume 2 - Number 10 - 6/27/94 IDX# INDEX IDX# IDX# I. LDF: LD Awareness Week Press Conference Statement IDX# II. LYMENET: Lyme Disease Symposium, 7/9/94, San Rafael, CA IDX# III. BR J RHEUMATOL: Evidence for Lyme disease in urban park IDX# workers: a potential new health hazard for city IDX# inhabitants. IDX# IV. J MED ENTOMOL: Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) deer IDX# tick mesoscale populations in natural areas: effects of IDX# deer, area, and location. IDX# V. How to Subscribe, Contribute, and Get Back Issues IDX# QUOTE OF THE WEEK: "Most importantly, everyone has to recognize that when it comes to Lyme disease, no one has all the answers." -- Thomas Forschner, Executive Director of the Lyme Disease Foundation, Inc. I. LDF: LD Awareness Week Press Conference Statement ------------------------------------------------------- Remarks made by Thomas Forschner, Executive Director of the Lyme Disease Foundation, Inc., at a public education forum / press conference June 6, 1994. Welcome to the Kick-Off of the 6th National Lyme Disease Awareness Week. The importance and seriousness of Lyme Disease continues to evolve as we learn more about the elusive bacteria responsible for "The Great Masquerader." Since 1976, when Lyme disease was named "Old Lyme Arthritis" by researchers at Yale, we have learned that... * The disease was documented in Europe as early as 1883 under several other names and can be traced back 100 years in the U.S. * Symptoms are not limited to skin rashes and arthritis * The bacterium is difficult to identify with currently available lab tests * The disease is not limited to the Connecticut shoreline or even the Northeast; it is countrywide and worldwide * The tick that spreads the disease in the Southeast U.S. has been mis-named and people who were told they couldn't have Lyme disease because they didn't live near the "right" tick actually did _and do_ have Lyme disease * And, most importantly, a growing number of people with Lyme disease are not recovering despite extensive and expensive treatment. * In addition, at a January National Institutes of Health meeting, all Lyme disease experts [in attendance] admitted to having patients who are chronically infected, and for whom there is no "cure." It was also agreed that neurological Lyme is the single most important area of research. Sixty percent of neurologically involved patients have ongoing brain degeneration. Although we have made great progress we still have a long way to go. We know the bacteria that causes the disease, but we don't have a test that can specifically tell when the bacteria have been eradicated; we also don't know how the bacterium does its damage. We know that there are 3 ticks that transmit the disease. We know that by the time people have the EM rash, 60% of them already have the bacteria in their brain. An article [has been released in this week's] _Journal of the American Medical Association_ on the safety of one of the two vaccines being tested, but many questions are left unanswered as to long term safety and efficacy. Awareness of Lyme disease is critical. The public must be aware that this threat exists, and protect themselves and their families. Doctors need to be vigilant and must be aware that they need to rely on their clinical judgment and not lab tests when diagnosing and treating their patients. Most importantly, everyone has to recognize that when it comes to Lyme disease, no one has all the answers. We hope that this week of awareness will lead to a decrease in the number of cases and an increase in appropriate diagnosis and treatment of this disease. The Lyme Disease Foundation is pleased to announce that a new video for adults, "What You Should Know," is available in every state library. This fall we will be releasing 3 additional videos: a "Scientific Investigator" program for middle school students, a Self-Help group video for patients with Lyme, and a Workplace video for employers interested in protecting employees and their families. I'd like to than Senator Joseph Lieberman for his unwavering support of the Lyme Disease Foundation as well as of my family's personal battle with this disease. In 1988 when the LDF first started, my wife Karen walked the halls of Congress looking for help. Senator Lieberman was the only one who said he would help and actually followed through on his promise. His support has been instrumental in moving awareness and research forward. His unique combination of commitment and compassion are an inspiration to all Lyme disease patients. =====*===== II. LYMENET: Lyme Disease Symposium, 7/9/94, San Rafael, CA ------------------------------------------------------------- Sender: John Setel O'Donnell <[email protected]> * Goals and Objectives The conference is intended for physicians, dentists, veterinarians, pharmacists, nurses and other health care professionals to update them on the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease. Faculty represent a broad range of medical specialties and viewpoints. After the conference, attendees will understand: - the presentation of early and late-stage Lyme disease symptoms in adults and children; - the controversies in identifying the stages of Lyme disease and their treatment; - current research, both locally and world-wide; - the accuracy of laboratory tests and their interpretation; - the epidemiology of the disease and the behavior of the Lyme disease tick; - veterinary overview of Lyme disease and the manifestations of Lyme disease in animals * Faculty Joseph J. Burrascano, MD, Southampton Hospital, Southampton, NY David W. Dorward, PhD, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, Hamilton, MT Brian A. Fallon, MD, MPH, Columbia University, New York, NY Nick S. Harris, PhD, IGeneX, Palo Alto, CA James H. Katzel, MD, Ukiah Valley Medical Center, Ukiah, CA Robert S. Lane, PhD, Div. of Entomology, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA Chinh T. Le, MD, Kaiser Permanante Medical Center, Santa Rosa, CA Rance B. Le Febvre, PhD, Veterinary School, UC Davis, Davis, CA Robert T. Schoen, MD, Yale University LD Clinic, New Haven, CT R. J. Scrimenti, MD, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI Duc J. Vugia, MD, MPH, California Dept. Health Services, Berkeley, CA Rosemary P. U'Ren, PHN, Marin County Health Dept., San Rafael, CA * Registration: email me for a copy the registration form or contact the Lyme Disease Resource Center, PO Box 9510, Santa Rosa, CA 95405; 707-468-8460, fax 707-468-4318. * Tuition $150; $90 for medical students, public health officers, nurses, physician assistants, pharmacists and dental auxiliaries. * CME accredited by CA DHS Following the Symposium: * Lyme Disease Public Forum 7/9/94 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Marin Association of Realtors Building, 4020 Civic Center Drive, San Rafael Overview presentations by symposium faculty, plus open Q&A period. Open to all. Suggested donation of $5. Free educational brochures. Cosponsored by California Department of Health Services and County of Marin, Department of Health and Human Services. For more information: contact Marla North, 415-924-3936. =====*===== III. BR J RHEUMATOL: Evidence for Lyme disease in urban park workers: a potential new health hazard for city inhabitants. ------------------------------------------------------------------ REFERENCE: Br J Rheumatol 1994 Feb;33(2):123-8 AUTHORS: Rees DH, Axford JS ORGANIZATION: Division of Immunology, St George's Hospital Medical School, University of London. ABSTRACT: In the UK, cases of Lyme disease have only been reported from rural areas. Recently, however, Ixodes ticks infected with Borrelia burgdorferi have been found in London parks. To determine whether this constituted a health hazard, we questioned 44 workers from Richmond and Bushey parks to assess their exposure to tick bites and whether they had a clinical history of Lyme disease. Their serum was subsequently investigated for antibodies to two different preparations of Borrelia burgdorferi (whole cell sonicate and flagellin) and the specificity of these antibodies determined by immunoblotting. Comparison was made to zoo keepers (n = 27) from a wildlife park outside London. Tick bites were reported in 23% of park workers and of these, three described symptoms compatible with Lyme disease. Raised antibody levels were found in 10 (24%) of the park workers compared with one (4%) of the zoo keepers using ELISA with whole cell sonicate as antigen (P = 0.02) and 6 (14%) of park workers and none of the zoo keepers using purified flagellin as antigen (P < 0.05). Analysis of the immunoblots revealed more bands were detected in park workers (mean 1.8, range 0-6) than in the zoo keeper controls (mean 0.8, range 0-4); P < 0.001 and 14 (32%) of the park workers had reactivity with three or more protein bands, whilst only one of the zoo keepers showed this level of antigen binding (P < 0.005). These data suggest previous infection with B. burgdorferi in London park workers which has important health implications for these individuals, other park workers and possibly park visitors. =====*===== IV. J MED ENTOMOL: Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) deer tick mesoscale populations in natural areas: effects of deer, area, and location. ------------------------------------------------------------- REFERENCE: J Med Entomol 1994 Jan;31(1):152-8 AUTHORS: Duffy DC, Campbell SR, Clark D, DiMotta C, Gurney S ORGANIZATION: Lyme Disease Research Project, Seatuck Foundation, Shelter Island, New York. ABSTRACT: Nymphal Ixodes scapularis Say deer ticks were collected at 22 parks or other natural areas on Long Island, New York, to examine the relationship between tick populations and geographic position, size of area, presence of white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus (Zimmerman), and numbers of human Lyme disease cases in adjacent communities. Nymphal ticks were 93% less abundant when deer were absent and were also less common in smaller natural areas. Geographic position on Long Island was not important. Tick numbers were significantly correlated with human Lyme disease incidence in adjacent townships. A second survey of larval ticks from five areas where deer were absent and six where deer were present found larvae present at four of the five sites without deer, but at only 2% of the levels found where deer were present. These results suggest that populations of I. scapularis can occur and reproduce in the absence of white-tailed deer, so that eradication of all deer would greatly reduce, but not eliminate, all risk of Lyme disease. =====*===== V. HOW TO SUBSCRIBE, CONTRIBUTE AND GET BACK ISSUES ------------------------------------------------------ SUBSCRIPTIONS: Anyone with an Internet address may subscribe. Send a memo to: [email protected] in the body, type: subscribe LymeNet-L YourFirstName YourLastName DELETIONS: Send a memo to: [email protected] in the body, type: unsubscribe LymeNet-L CONTRIBUTIONS: Send all contributions to [email protected] or FAX them to 908-789-0028. All are encouraged to submit questions, news items, announcements, and commentaries. BACK ISSUES: Available via 3 methods: 1. E-Mail: Send a memo to: [email protected] on the first line of the memo, type: get LymeNet-L/Newsletters x-yy (where x=vol # and yy=issue #) example: get LymeNet-L/Newsletters 1-01 (will get vol#1, issue#01) 2. Anonymous FTP: ftp.Lehigh.EDU:/pub/listserv/lymenet-l/Newsletters 3. Gopher: Site #1: extsparc.agsci.usu.edu Menu Selections: Selected Documents, Diseases, LymeNet Newsletter ----------------------------------------------------------------------- LymeNet - The Internet Lyme Disease Information Source ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Editor-in-Chief: Marc C. Gabriel <[email protected]> FAX: 908-789-0028 Contributing Editors: Carl Brenner <[email protected]> John Setel O'Donnell <[email protected]> Frank Demarest <[email protected]> Advisors: Carol-Jane Stolow, Director William S. Stolow, President The Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey (908-390-5027) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- WHEN COMMENTS ARE PRESENTED WITH AN ATTRIBUTION, THEY DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT THE OPINIONS/ANALYSES OF THE EDITORS. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- THIS NEWSLETTER MAY BE REPRODUCED AND/OR POSTED ON BULLETIN BOARDS FREELY AS LONG AS IT IS NOT MODIFIED OR ABRIDGED IN ANY WAY. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SEND ALL BUG REPORTS TO [email protected] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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