Pediatric Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection spread by the bite of an infected black legged tick.
Lyme disease can affect the skin, joints, nervous system and/or heart. When detected early, Lyme disease can usually be treated with antibiotics. If left untreated, it can result in serious health problems.
The type of tick responsible for spreading Lyme disease in New York is the black legged tick. Not all ticks carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease; they become infected after feeding on an infected animal, such as mice or other small mammals. You cannot get Lyme disease from another person or an infected animal. Transmission times for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases vary, and the sooner a tick is removed the lower the risk of infection. It is important to always check for ticks after spending time outdoors. Black legged tick nymphs are the size of a poppy seed and adult ticks are the size of a sesame seed. Both can transmit Lyme, as well as other tick-borne disease.
Transmission time is a current topic of debate, but some pathogens are transmitted in minutes, while others hours. As I always say, err on the side of caution; the sooner the better.
Most tick encounters occur from April through November. Their preferred habitats are wooded areas and adjacent grasslands.
Lyme disease is often hard to diagnose because the symptoms are usually non-specific (fever, fatigue) and similar to those of other common illnesses. Symptoms may occur shortly after being bitten by a tick, but may be so mild that they often go unnoticed. Some people notice a rash after experiencing a tick bite, but many do not. Many tick-borne microbes also cause disease symptoms of varying severity. Babesia is a parasite that causes headaches, recurring fevers, and anemia. Symptoms of Anaplasma include fever and extreme fatigue. Powassan is a virus that can cause encephalitis in a small subset of those infected. These diseases can be life threatening.
 What you should look for are flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle aches, joint pain, and swollen glands, particularly during times like summer, when colds and flu are uncommon. Severe symptoms such as heart arthymias/chest pain or meningitis can also occur. High fever and profound fatigue may accompany infections caused by other tick- borne microbes. If a rash at the site of a tick bite is observed, it may appear as a solid, expanding red rash. it may look like a bulls eye, or it may take other forms. If your child, grandchild, or neighbors' child gets bit by a tick, go to the doctor immediately and ask your doctor to put the child on antibiotics and to take a blood test. Time is of the essence.
On another note, we have stopped issuing new grants for the time being. Due to the pandemic, donations have stopped or almost stopped, forcing us to tap our reserve funds to pay the grants we have already issued. Please help us to build up our reserve funds so we can once again issue grants to the children on our waiting list to help pay for their treatment and/or medication. Please, please consider making a outright donation to the Lyme Foundation, or by purchasing a Brittney Fellowship, Emerald and/or Diamond Brittany, or by joining the Joseph Michael Wuest Fellowship. Thank you all for your support in the past and I look forward to your support in the future Children need Kiwanis.
The 25 Anniversary Gala is set to go on Dec. 5. Hope to see you all there.

Column Posted on Web Site July 14, 2021