Lyme Disease - We are all at risk

 

Richard Winn said, 1562938440

Huw said

U S Lyme disease tends to affect the joints, and that’s all most U.K. Doctors know about. Northern European Lyme disease tends to affect the nervous system, and most U.K. doctors know very little about it because most of the relevant publications are in German or Nordic languages.


Do you by any chance have any links to Norwegian papers Huw? My Norwegian is very rusty, but I would have a chance of translating, it wouldn't be the first paper I've translated. I'm considering writing an article. While.I want to avoid doing it from a clinical angle, there could be some useful stats that could add to any information I can put in, including things not to do.

Testing has become more widespread in recent years, which has probably contributed to the lower incidence of the characteristic rash than quoted in earlier papers. We used to send samples away for testing, but I think we do the initial testing in house, only sending away for confirmation. It used to be mainly labs in the publicised higher incidence areas, hence Plymouth an Southampton. The south west in particular an south in general are high risk areas though.

A Shot in the Dark said, 1562938744

Huw thanks to this post I've been to the doctors, they're pretty confident it's lyme disease, I'm now off to the hospital for a blood test to confirm!

Iris Ferret said, 1562938980

MidgePhoto Ah, I hadn't realised. As a self proclaimed grammar nazi, I thank you :p

art65 said, 1562939849

My sister suffers from M.E. One theory is that it may be caused by a tick bite/lymes. interestingly enough she lived in Connecticut, MidgePhoto for several years.

Ticks are also reponsible for other diseases. I had to be vaccinated against Tick-borne encephalitis before visting rural Thailand. The presence of pigs increases the risk.

Gothic Image said, 1562940037

A Shot in the Dark said

Huw thanks to this post I've been to the doctors, they're pretty confident it's lyme disease, I'm now off to the hospital for a blood test to confirm!


All the best - a very serendipitous subject for a post!

Huw said, 1562940115

Richard Winn said

Huw said

U S Lyme disease tends to affect the joints, and that’s all most U.K. Doctors know about. Northern European Lyme disease tends to affect the nervous system, and most U.K. doctors know very little about it because most of the relevant publications are in German or Nordic languages.


Do you by any chance have any links to Norwegian papers Huw? My Norwegian is very rusty, but I would have a chance of translating, it wouldn't be the first paper I've translated. I'm considering writing an article. While.I want to avoid doing it from a clinical angle, there could be some useful stats that could add to any information I can put in, including things not to do.

Testing has become more widespread in recent years, which has probably contributed to the lower incidence of the characteristic rash than quoted in earlier papers. We used to send samples away for testing, but I think we do the initial testing in house, only sending away for confirmation. It used to be mainly labs in the publicised higher incidence areas, hence Plymouth an Southampton. The south west in particular an south in general are high risk areas though.

My wife appears to have got over it five years ago, so I'm not up to date.
I had a lot of international pathologist friends helping at the time, so I wasn't reading it in the original versions.

https://xn--flttsenteret-ucb.no/in-english/


https://www.fhi.no/en/el/insects-and-pests/ticks-and-tick-borne-diseases/borreliose/

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-33136-0#Abs1

https://ecdc.europa.eu/sites/portal/files/media/en/healthtopics/vectors/world-health-day-2014/Documents/factsheet-lyme-borreliosis.pdf

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1198743X14628871

The incidence of positive results has gone up since they improved their techniques about five years ago.

Edited by Huw

MidgePhoto said, 1562940521

Gothic Image I suspect I'd have just given you a long course of the preferred antibiotic on looking at that.

Science is wonderful, but would a negative test result cause a decision to not treat? (Not for this retired GP.)

Huw said, 1562940637

MidgePhoto said

Gothic Image I suspect I'd have just given you a long course of the preferred antibiotic on looking at that.

Science is wonderful, but would a negative test result cause a decision to not treat? (Not for this retired GP.)


Best test for Lyme is 2 weeks antibiotics at the right time...                not approved nowdays though  ;)

Gothic Image said, 1562940734

MidgePhoto said

Gothic Image I suspect I'd have just given you a long course of the preferred antibiotic on looking at that.

Science is wonderful, but would a negative test result cause a decision to not treat? (Not for this retired GP.)


A Shot in the Dark , not me, but there's a good reason it's in my risk assessment for shoots in the New Forest.

A Shot in the Dark said, 1562943320

MidgePhoto I've got a bit of a dodgy liver so they only want to give me them if I definitely have it?

Just had my blood taken so we'll see! Doctor seemed pretty sure though

rimфsky° said, 1562943378

IrisFerret said

Oh christ, thank god you spotted it as quickly as you did! My mum has a bit of a phobia about Lyme's Disease and regularly reminds me to be careful when going out into fields and grasses - clearly she's on to something! Hope you feel better soon, what an unfortunate place to be bitten too. This is definitely something that more people need to be aware of. 


:) you have an habit of reading stuff wrong lol, my photo is from October and I never felt unwell (except when the antibiotics kicked in then I felt ill for 24hrs).

For clarity that is the back of my leg so could have been worse, though we reckon I sat on the little bastard when we got in the van so it got it's just deserts.

I am so chuffed this has helped someone already, things happen for a reason I guess....

A Shot in the Dark said, 1562943995

rimфsky° I for one am very glad you posted about it haha, bet you didn't expect that when you made the post!

Michael H. said, 1562945875

A Shot in the Dark said

rimфsky° I for one am very glad you posted about it haha, bet you didn't expect that when you made the post!

This is amazing. :)

Peanuts said, 1562947021

not wanting to hijack and derail this excellent thread another to look out for is weals disease which can be caught from coming into contact with Rats waste this can be found anywhere close to Rat habitats so rivers canals ponds small lakes derelict buildings all of which are popular as shoot locations can expose you to this potential killer disease . only takes a small amount on your hands to make contact with subcutaneous tissue ,rubbing your eyes sneezing touching your lips or mouth scratching at a scab or rash  can introduce it into your body with potentially fatal consequences .this was drummed onto us whilst employed on the railway to wear latex or similar gloves any time we came near wiring runs cupboards or ducting as you never know where they have left their mess and to wash hands thurouhley before eating drinking or handling food 

A Shot in the Dark said, 1562947222

Michael H. isn't it! There's a card going his way in the post soon!

Peanuts I think it's very applicable, it's not derailing at all! Another thing I didn't know about so thank you