LEMMIKILLE BORRELIOOSI VAROTOIMISTA HUOLIMATTA

[Bb]

Lähettäjä: Soijuv Lähetetty: 24.6.2005 14:16

Koira sairastui borrelioosiin vaikka sillä oli punkkipanta ym. punkkikarkotteita. Artikkelin mukaan tutkijat ovat löytäneet borreliabakteereita kirpuista, hyttysistä, kyynelnesteestä, virtsasta jne. .. Joidenkin tutkijoiden mukaan tauti voi tarttua ihmisestä ihmiseen:


Fauquier Times-Democrat
Fauquier County, VA
June 7, 2005

Lyme disease still a threat
By Andrea Slaugh
06/07/2005

About a year ago my border collie mix tested positive for Lyme disease. The diagnosis surprised me. I used a flea and tick preventative on her for years, even in the offseason. So, I figured she was protected.

What went wrong? Did she encounter a super tick? Did her immune system let her down? Or did I forget to reapply the preventative promptly?

Maybe all of the above -- or none of them. Like Churchill's observation about Russia, Lyme disease remains a "riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma."

As it turns out, no preventatives are totally effective. The product I use, for example, contains fipronil, which wipes out about 95 percent of ticks that try to feed on my dog. It's relatively fast-acting, but still takes a day or two before kicking into high gear.

While today's medications have their limits, age can be another chink in your pet's armor. A puppy's immune system, for example, is still gearing up. With older dogs, those gears are wearing down.

As a large 7-year-old, Gracie had crossed into "geriatric" territory. Especially with senior pets, little stresses can add up and prevent the body from mounting an effective defense against invading bacteria.

Sometimes owners cause a "security breach," too. For example, forgetting to apply the preventative or letting a treated animal get wet within two days of application can open the door to infection.

Gracie doesn't swim in ponds or creeks, and baths are indignities she doesn't suffer gladly. But did I take her out for "business" in the rain? Or did she roll on dew-covered grass too soon after treatment? Either possibility would have decreased the medication's effectiveness.

No matter how it happened, Gracie's infected for life. And that's one of the scary facts about Lyme disease. Antibiotics can knock it down but not out.

Deadly hide and seek

The bacterium that causes this disease is Borrelia burgdorferi, abbreviated "Bb." Unlike its more typical cousins, Bb doesn't need its cell wall to survive. With no wall, antibiotics have nothing to attack -- which is why so many of them are useless against this pathogen.

What's more, Bb can change shape to fool the immune system, then revert back to its original form when the threat passes. In effect, it plays hide-and-seek, ducking for cover in tendons, muscles and organs throughout the body. There, it bides its time for months and even years.

This explains why Lyme disease can flare up repeatedly, especially after stressful events, and why doctors and veterinarians have a hard time pinning down the diagnosis. In fact, they call it "the great impostor."

In humans, for example, Bb mimics more than 350 diseases -- everything from Lou Gehrig's, Parkinson's and schizophrenia to attention deficit disorder and chronic fatigue syndrome.

It doesn't help that the accuracy of most blood tests is less than 60 percent.

Misdiagnoses in dogs include slipped discs and arthritis. Cats, by the way, seem to be at less risk than canines.

Researchers have found live Bb in fleas and mosquitoes, leading them to believe ticks aren't the only carriers. Ominously, they also discovered it in human tears, urine and other body secretions. As a result, some scientists now think infected humans could transmit Lyme disease to non-infected people.

All of this underscores the danger ticks pose to us and our pets. The precautions you've heard about for years -- wearing light-colored clothing to spot the parasites easily; avoiding weeds and tall grass; checking for attached ticks after a day outdoors -- still apply.

To help keep your pet safe, invest in monthly flea and tick preventative. No, it won't provide complete protection, but it tilts the odds in your dog's favor.

For high-risk animals, discuss the pros and cons of Lyme vaccine with your veterinarian. Research from Cornell University suggests the vaccine may have serious long-term side effects, so it's not for every dog. Your vet can advise you if the benefits outweigh the risks.

For additional tips, visit http://www.guidelines.gov and search for "Lyme disease."

A former animal shelter worker, Andrea Slaugh is pursuing her license in veterinary technology. She can be reached at andrea1@escapees.com .
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Mid Shore Lyme Disease Association, Inc.
email address mslyme@atlanticbb.net
410-745-3409 Dyan Redick, President
410-822-3164 Linda Reilly, Vice President