Rise in Lyme cases highlights need for new tests...

[Guest guest]

Rise in Lyme cases highlights need for new tests

Current methods can't tell if disease is alive in body, which may

delay care

WASHINGTON - President Bush's recently revealed treatment for Lyme

disease makes him part of an unfortunate trend: The tick-borne

infection is on the rise, with cases more than doubling in the past 15

years.

The good news is that most patients, like Bush, take antibiotics for a

few weeks and are cured, especially if they were diagnosed early.

But people who aren't treated promptly can develop painful arthritis,

meningitis and other serious illnesses. If they don't experience, or

notice, Lyme's hallmark round, red rash, they can struggle to be

diagnosed, as other early symptoms are flulike and vague.

And a small fraction of patients report pain and fatigue that linger

for months or years after treatment. Do they still have Lyme, or

something else? No one knows, although desperate patients often try

repeated antibiotics despite little evidence that the drugs do more

good than harm.

The central problem: No test can tell when someone has active Lyme

disease — when Lyme-causing bacteria are alive in the body. Today's

tests instead spot infection-fighting antibodies, which can take weeks

to form but then linger long after Lyme is gone.

A push is on for better Lyme tests, with parallel hunts getting

started by the National Institutes of Health and, separately, by

patient advocacy groups angry that modern medicine hasn't found an

answer.

" The time is right to take a closer look, " says Dr. Dennis M. Dixon,

chief of bacteria research at the NIH's National Institute for Allergy

and Infectious Diseases, which plans to gather leading scientists

later this year to determine the best approaches. " We would not rule

out any avenue. "

" We have a lot of new tools " to explore, adds Dr. Fallon, who

directs Columbia University's new Lyme and Tick-borne Diseases

Research Center, funded by the advocacy groups Time for Lyme and the

Lyme Disease Association. " Science is going to bridge the gap. "

Among the research:

* A newer antibody test seems to indicate when antibiotics are

working in early Lyme stages, offering the possibility of tracking

treatment response.

* Hunting markers of active infection, including bits of

Lyme-related protein in the blood or spinal fluid.

* Fallon is using brain imaging to try to distinguish when Lyme

penetrates the nervous system.

Many cases go unreported

About 20,000 new cases of Lyme disease are reported to the government

every year, says a June analysis from the Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20251204/

[Guest guest]

Oh I just feel so much better that this is being addressed and it's

not just lip service to an unfortunate trend..

(and yes please read that with sarcasism).

I wonder where his test was run (NIH?)- and if he was treated without

being CDC positive.. I bet he was not CDC positive but was treated

anyway... tsk tsk tsk.

B

>

> Rise in Lyme cases highlights need for new tests

> Current methods can't tell if disease is alive in body, which may

> delay care

>

> WASHINGTON - President Bush's recently revealed treatment for Lyme

> disease makes him part of an unfortunate trend: The tick-borne

> infection is on the rise, with cases more than doubling in the past

15

> years.

>

> The good news is that most patients, like Bush, take antibiotics

for a

> few weeks and are cured, especially if they were diagnosed early.

>

> But people who aren't treated promptly can develop painful

arthritis,

> meningitis and other serious illnesses. If they don't experience, or

> notice, Lyme's hallmark round, red rash, they can struggle to be

> diagnosed, as other early symptoms are flulike and vague.

>

> And a small fraction of patients report pain and fatigue that linger

> for months or years after treatment. Do they still have Lyme, or

> something else? No one knows, although desperate patients often try

> repeated antibiotics despite little evidence that the drugs do more

> good than harm.

>

> The central problem: No test can tell when someone has active Lyme

> disease — when Lyme-causing bacteria are alive in the body. Today's

> tests instead spot infection-fighting antibodies, which can take

weeks

> to form but then linger long after Lyme is gone.

>

> A push is on for better Lyme tests, with parallel hunts getting

> started by the National Institutes of Health and, separately, by

> patient advocacy groups angry that modern medicine hasn't found an

> answer.

>

> " The time is right to take a closer look, " says Dr. Dennis M. Dixon,

> chief of bacteria research at the NIH's National Institute for

Allergy

> and Infectious Diseases, which plans to gather leading scientists

> later this year to determine the best approaches. " We would not rule

> out any avenue. "

>

> " We have a lot of new tools " to explore, adds Dr. Fallon, who

> directs Columbia University's new Lyme and Tick-borne Diseases

> Research Center, funded by the advocacy groups Time for Lyme and the

> Lyme Disease Association. " Science is going to bridge the gap. "

>

> Among the research:

>

> * A newer antibody test seems to indicate when antibiotics are

> working in early Lyme stages, offering the possibility of tracking

> treatment response.

> * Hunting markers of active infection, including bits of

> Lyme-related protein in the blood or spinal fluid.

> * Fallon is using brain imaging to try to distinguish when Lyme

> penetrates the nervous system.

>

> Many cases go unreported

> About 20,000 new cases of Lyme disease are reported to the

government

> every year, says a June analysis from the Centers for Disease

Control

> and Prevention.

>

> http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20251204/

>

[Guest guest]

Doesn't matter what positive he was - he had the rash. Case closed.

a Carnes

>

> Oh I just feel so much better that this is being addressed and it's

> not just lip service to an unfortunate trend..

> (and yes please read that with sarcasism).

>

> I wonder where his test was run (NIH?)- and if he was treated

without

> being CDC positive.. I bet he was not CDC positive but was treated

> anyway... tsk tsk tsk.

> B

>

>

>

>

> >

> > Rise in Lyme cases highlights need for new tests

> > Current methods can't tell if disease is alive in body, which may

> > delay care

> >

> > WASHINGTON - President Bush's recently revealed treatment for Lyme

> > disease makes him part of an unfortunate trend: The tick-borne

> > infection is on the rise, with cases more than doubling in the

past

> 15

> > years.

> >

> > The good news is that most patients, like Bush, take antibiotics

> for a

> > few weeks and are cured, especially if they were diagnosed early.

> >

> > But people who aren't treated promptly can develop painful

> arthritis,

> > meningitis and other serious illnesses. If they don't experience,

or

> > notice, Lyme's hallmark round, red rash, they can struggle to be

> > diagnosed, as other early symptoms are flulike and vague.

> >

> > And a small fraction of patients report pain and fatigue that

linger

> > for months or years after treatment. Do they still have Lyme, or

> > something else? No one knows, although desperate patients often

try

> > repeated antibiotics despite little evidence that the drugs do

more

> > good than harm.

> >

> > The central problem: No test can tell when someone has active Lyme

> > disease — when Lyme-causing bacteria are alive in the body.

Today's

> > tests instead spot infection-fighting antibodies, which can take

> weeks

> > to form but then linger long after Lyme is gone.

> >

> > A push is on for better Lyme tests, with parallel hunts getting

> > started by the National Institutes of Health and, separately, by

> > patient advocacy groups angry that modern medicine hasn't found an

> > answer.

> >

> > " The time is right to take a closer look, " says Dr. Dennis M.

Dixon,

> > chief of bacteria research at the NIH's National Institute for

> Allergy

> > and Infectious Diseases, which plans to gather leading scientists

> > later this year to determine the best approaches. " We would not

rule

> > out any avenue. "

> >

> > " We have a lot of new tools " to explore, adds Dr. Fallon,

who

> > directs Columbia University's new Lyme and Tick-borne Diseases

> > Research Center, funded by the advocacy groups Time for Lyme and

the

> > Lyme Disease Association. " Science is going to bridge the gap. "

> >

> > Among the research:

> >

> > * A newer antibody test seems to indicate when antibiotics are

> > working in early Lyme stages, offering the possibility of tracking

> > treatment response.

> > * Hunting markers of active infection, including bits of

> > Lyme-related protein in the blood or spinal fluid.

> > * Fallon is using brain imaging to try to distinguish when

Lyme

> > penetrates the nervous system.

> >

> > Many cases go unreported

> > About 20,000 new cases of Lyme disease are reported to the

> government

> > every year, says a June analysis from the Centers for Disease

> Control

> > and Prevention.

> >

> > http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20251204/

> >

>