This morning I came across the following maps and information on reported Lyme cases. I think it’s pretty telling.
Please note the following:
- These maps are from 1990 and 2002, respectively.
- A note at the bottom says: “According to CDC only 10% of Lyme disease that meet the case definition are reported, meaning if 10,000 cases are reported, 100,000 cases occurred.”
- More dark green = more Lyme.
- Last I checked, the country all along the north border of the United States of America is Canada.
Can someone tell me again how Lyme disease is a new problem in Canada, especially Ontario and Quebec? Have ticks been carrying passports all this time?
I call bullshit.
There were more cases reported in NY state in 1990 (3244) than there were in 2012 (2998). NY does a lot of public education and prevention on Lyme disease, and a legislation is under review which would ensure that patients have access to long term antibiotics. Here’s an article about the issue: Lyme Disease Dispute Draws in State Legislatures, but please! don’t trust anything Gary Wormser of the IDSA says. Him and his crew were and are so knee deep in conflicts of interests regarding Lyme disease that they have been sanctioned by lawmakers and there was even a 49 page study about it in 2010 called The Infectious Diseases Society of America Lyme guidelines: a cautionary tale about the development of clinical practice guidelines. Also, please note that the Vermont bill protecting doctors treating chronic Lyme, mentioned in the article, passed in the last weeks!
You will find more maps like these on the Lyme Disease Association‘s website.
