Lyme disease, an illness caused by a bacteria that lives in ticks and delivered through bites, is becoming an overwhelming concern in the areas in which the tick is present.
At least 300,000 cases of Lyme disease are diagnosed each year. However, the US government is only reporting about a tenth or less of that number.
The CDCP, or Center for Disease Control and Prevention, is now undertaking a thorough analysis of medical claims from 22 million patients with insurance, and generally scouring labs and the public medical community, to get a grasp on the true magnitude of the problem.
The problem of Lyme disease is confined mostly to the Northeast of the United Sates and upper MIdwest. 96% of all cases are registered in just 13 states.
If caught early, Lyme disease can easily be treated with antibiotics. However, if not treated, the disease can give the infected person malaise, pain and other symptoms for a very long time.
Source : Bloomberg/ 8.19.13
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