BBC Online - Devon - News

Wednesday 15th August 2001

Mild weather brings Lyme Disease increase

[Image]
Sheila Coward picked up a tick as she tended her
organic beef cattle in East Devon

Doctors in the South West are seeing an increase in cases of Lyme
Disease, an illness spread by animal ticks. It's thought the wet, mild
winter and spring is responsible for massive growth in the tick
population.

[Image]
Lyme Disease can affect the heart, brain, nervous system and joints

Sheila Coward picked up a tick as she tended her organic beef cattle in
East Devon. For her, this is not usually a problem, but it was infected
and she contracted Lyme Disease, experiencing first flu-like symptoms
then a spreading rash.

Sheila's case is one of seven diagnosed by the Royal Devon and Exeter
Hospital's public health laboratory in the past month, twice the usual
rate, and that doesn't include cases diagnosed by GPs. There are more
ticks about because conditions have been ideal.

[Image]
Dr Marina Morgan; "A lot of hungry ticks looking for something to bite"

Dr Marina Morgan, consultant medical microbiologist at the Royal Devon
and Exeter Hospital, says: "We've had very wet, mild winter and a damp
spring and there are a lot of healthy, hungry ticks looking for
something to bite."

If Lyme Disease isn't treated with antibiotics when the rash is noticed,
it can affect the heart, brain, nervous system and joints. But the
advice is not to avoid the countryside, just cover up the skin when
you walk in long grass or bracken.

South west [England] sees an increase in Lyme Disease, BBC, 15 Aug 01
http://www.***.com/

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