CDC Stats: Lyme Disease Cases Double Over 15 Years

Associated Press
President Bush’s recently revealed treatment for Lyme disease makes him part of an unfortunate trend: The tick-borne infection is on the rise, with cases more than doubling in the past 15 years.

The good news is that most patients, like Bush, take antibiotics for a few weeks and are cured, especially if they were diagnosed early.

But people who aren’t treated promptly can develop painful arthritis, meningitis and other serious illnesses. If they don’t experience, or notice, Lyme’s hallmark round, red rash, they can struggle to be diagnosed, as other early symptoms are flu-like and vague. (more…)