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| health > story page |         |
Lyme-disease vaccine helps, but it's not a cure-allJuly 26, 1999
By Tula Karras
(WebMD) -- America's outdoor lovers aren't out of the woods yet. Though a Lyme-disease vaccine is now available, experts are still urging caution in order to prevent people from contracting the disease, which was discovered in 1975 in Old Lyme, Connecticut. In addition, other tick-borne illnesses, including Ehrlichiosis, Babesiosis and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, are on the rise, and experts maintain that prevention and education are still the best weapons. The vaccine, Lymerix, came as a great relief to many Americans when the Food and Drug Administration approved it this past February. But the vaccine is not a cure-all and letting down your guard now would be a mistake, warns Dr. Steven Meed, a rheumatologist in New York City who's contracted Lyme disease four times and has completely recovered from each episode. "The new vaccine is a mixed bag," says Meed. "We still don't know how long the vaccine is good for, and it ruins the ability to use a blood screening test to (identify) the disease." Those who do get the vaccine, which is only effective in 75 percent of recipients, should not rule out Lyme if they do get ill, he advises. "The remaining 25 percent are still at risk." Lyme disease is more common than you think To understand health officials' battle against the disease, take a look at the statistics. More than 100,000 cases of Lyme disease have been reported since 1989, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and these numbers are conservative and probably do not reflect the true number of cases. Health officials have a difficult time counting the actual number of patients, since Lyme disease mimics other diseases, and people can go for years without a proper, correct diagnosis. Many of the afflicted live in the Northeast where the disease is most common, though it has been diagnosed in 48 states, the exceptions being Hawaii and Alaska. Lyme disease is caused by a bacterium that is transmitted to humans when they are bitten by an infected deer tick or a Western black-legged tick. The tick must stay attached to the person for two days in order to pass along the bacterium, says the CDC. What to look for if you're bitten by a tick CDC research shows that the hallmark "bull's-eye" rash appears in 80 percent of patients within days or weeks of being infected. Symptoms also include fatigue, fever and stiffness. If caught early, doctors can successfully treat patients with a three- to four-week course of antibiotics. Those who don't respond or those who do not get prompt and proper treatment may develop late-stage symptoms, which include neurological difficulties, heart problems and debilitating body pain. These symptoms are much harder to treat. What happens if it's not caught early: one man's story Christopher Montes of New Britain, Connecticut was the picture of robust health: He hiked, jogged and rock-climbed regularly. Then, in the late 1980s, the then 30-year-old psychologist began to notice heart palpitations and experienced a constant upset stomach. "Things that my doctors couldn't account for," Montes recalls. No one tested him for Lyme initially because he didn't have the classic early symptoms: a flu-like illness and a rash at the site of the bite. The disease progressed and Montes began to suffer from depression, dizziness and a constant low-grade fever. In November of 1993, physically depleted and on the brink of a breakdown, Montes finally got tested for Lyme disease. The test results were borderline and his doctor began treating him with oral and intravenous antibiotics. After several weeks, he began to notice an improvement, and ultimately regained much of his health, though he still struggles with waxing and waning symptoms of the disease. Today, Montes advocates for other Lyme-disease sufferers and believes that the illness is still a public health threat. "People are dying of Lyme disease. The vaccine is a step in the right direction, but much more research is needed."
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