Pediatric Lyme Disease

As the summer approaches its hight the number of Lyme disease cases rises throughout New York State, health officials urge outdoors enthusiasts to sharpen awareness. Also, Lyme disease has quietly gained a strong foothold in the Rochester area, and health officials are now saying for the first time there have been numerous locally acquired cases of the tick-borne bacterial infection reported. No longer is Lyme disease something that Rochesterians catch somewhere else.
Today, a not-insignificant number of local deer ticks carry Lyme, creating the chance of exposure to the potentially serious infection in local parks, fields, forests and even your own backyards. Several cases have come to light in the last few weeks. That gives us pause that there might be more on the way, and we might be getting into a higher level of risk than we previously had in the Rochester area.
Lyme disease is transmitted by tiny deer ticks that attach themselves to a person's skin. Symptoms can range from a mild fever to serious, long lasting neurological, cardiac or arthritic problems. Such is the case of a young girl in the Buffalo area by the name of Stephanie who we are at present helping financially.
People can prevent infection by avoiding tick prone areas (which is easier said than done) or by removing the ticks from their skin with Tick Kits provided by our foundation before the bacteria can take hold. Those common-sense tactics only work if people think to employ them, however, and there has been almost no local publicity about prevention of Lyme disease, which most people don't realize is a local problem.
On July 25, 2014 the Pediatric Lyme Disease Foundation is having its first major fund raiser to help us continue to help young children with this dreaded infection. It is a night at the theatre, tickets are $25 per person. Please contact the chairperson of the event, Jeanne Egan at post2004@att.net for tickets. If you cannot make the fund raiser please consider making a donation so we may continue to do what we do, and that is helping children with Lyme Disease.
As always if you know of anyone in need of financial assistance to help pay for treatment and/or medication contact me or any member of the foundation board. Remember, the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing, and in this case its helping children.

Column Posted on Web Site July 26, 2014