Arkansas Lyme Foundation

Little Rock, AR – Governor Asa Hutchinson has issued a proclamation that May 2017 is officially Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Prevention Month in Arkansas. The Governor's proclamation follows the recent efforts of the Arkansas Lyme Foundation (www.arklf.com) to show the existence of Lyme Disease in Arkansas.  For the past 10 years Arkansas and Hawaii were the only two states that have had no confirmed reported cases of Lyme Disease in the United States.   

 

Lyme disease is spread to humans and animals by the bite of an infected tick. 

In the United States, Lyme disease is the most commonly reported tick-borne disease with over 320,000 cases per year. This is more than breast cancer and HIV combined.  Last year, the Arkansas Department of Health reported 2 cases of Lyme Disease in two young girls in Northwest Arkansas.  “Logically this statistic does not add up with the rest of the nation” states Amy Rose, one of the representatives from the Arkansas Lyme Foundation. There is a problem with reporting, education and awareness.

 

Lyme is the "Great Imitator" since its symptoms mimic other common diseases. Initial signs of Lyme disease resemble those of the common cold: fever, chills, headache, sweats, muscle aches, neck pain, fatigue or sleep issues, nausea, lymph node swelling and joint pain.  Some patients (30-60%) develop a rash, many of them in the shape of a bull's-eye, but other types of rashes have been seen.  “If Lyme disease goes untreated, you may develop chronic Lyme symptoms” says Alarie Bowerman, another representative from the Arkansas Lyme Foundation.  These include severe fatigue, chronic joint pain, cognitive disorders, changes in vision, disabling neurological disorders, cardio-vascular disorders, migraines, severe muscle pain, sleep disorders, memory problems and more.

Lyme Disease is easy to get but very difficult to get proper testing, diagnosis and treatment due to out of date inaccurate lab tests.  It is very common for patients to get accurate answers by having their blood tested at a lab who specializes in tick borne illness.

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Click here to see video from KATV Little Rock about signing of proclamation - http://katv.com/community/7-on-your-side/lyme-in-arkansas-from-zero-to-may

 

Learn about proper testing and other public health initiatives at the Arkansas Lyme Foundation www.arklf.com .