Lyme Disease: Expert says take charge to prevent or manage its effect

By Devika Koppikar

Sam Mukherjee, a retired scientist, found a mole on his skin three days after a trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains in 2006. Though painful, he removed this mole, caused by a tick bite infected with Borrelia Burgdorferi. He had contracted Lyme disease, his doctor confirmed, and his skin displayed a round rash typical to the disease. What Mukherjee didn’t realize was that he had developed chronic Lyme disease, which often goes undiagnosed, he said. A few weeks later, he suffered regular fever twice a day, every day. He endured joint pain, loss of energy and a blurring of his memory.

This continued for two years before ceasing for three years. In 2011, he was suddenly admitted to the hospital with a viral infection of his lungs and heart. He was treated for pulmonary disease and his heart was damaged. “It’s been like a roller coaster. I don’t know when the symptoms will recur,” Mukherjee, a Northern Virginia resident, said.

Now a community health advocate and adviser, he devotes a significant amount of time on removing barriers to health care access for first generation Asian immigrants who are challenged linguistically, culturally and economically. As the current chair of Asian American Health Initiative Steering Committee of Montgomery County, Mukherjee is also focused on educating the Asian community on Lyme disease. Mukherjee spoke with Asian Fortune about this mission.

1. Why is Lyme disease awareness and prevention needed in the Asian community?
According to scientific reports, almost 90% of Lyme disease infections go unreported or are misdiagnosed. Many immigrants have no notion of what this disease is and how it can create havoc in their lives. Often, language and cultural superstitions pose barriers to access to basic health care. Further, there are a high proportion of Asian Americans who don’t have health insurance, so many rarely seek consultations with their physicians. The first step is to create awareness and educate people on how to prevent it.

2. How serious is Lyme disease?

It is one of the fastest growing vector-borne diseases (illness caused by an infectious microbe that is transmitted to people by blood-sucking arthropods) that has surpassed HIV in epidemic numbers. However, the disease has not been acknowledged as an epidemic.

3. What exactly is Lyme disease and how does one get it?

The disease is transmitted by a painless bite of a tick infected with the bacteria Borrelia Burgdorferi. The tick, popularly known as the Deer Tick (size between a sesame seed to a small pea, mostly dark brown in color with eight legs) is found in woods, parks, yards and beaches. Pets are also carriers. Lyme disease cases peak out during the summer months when people are more exposed to nature.

Symptoms differ from person to person and there may or may not be an initial symptom. However, the most common initial symptoms include a typical bull’s-eye rash, fever, aching muscles and joints, a headache, dizziness, hazy memory and fatigue.

5. What treatments are available?

When detected early, the treatment is with antibiotics oral or intravenous depending on the physician’s evaluation. It is possible to get rid of the bacteria with the right timing, amount and combination of medication.

6. How does proper diagnosis effect treatment?

If diagnosed and treated early, the effects are less severe. However, because the clinical detection and confirmation methods of Lyme disease are not fully reliable, misdiagnosis as well as unreported cases contribute to chronic Lyme disease are common. The symptoms accompanying the chronic form of Lyme disease may be more severe and debilitating in nature and may lead to heart and brain damage. An additional problem is the fact the Lyme bacteria is known to be accompanied by a host of other bacteria causing co-infections which makes Lyme disease even more severe and resistant to therapy.

7. What are the social and economic consequences of Lyme disease?
If the disease is not diagnosed and treated in time, it could leads to disability (due to brain damage). The person could then lose his/her job, health insurance, and home, which would then effect the whole family. In other words, it would be a situation where death would be better than a living death.

8. Since it causes so much devastation and yet is often misdiagnosed, what are some ways to prevent Lyme disease?

The first and most important action item is to inspect one’s body from head to toe and front to back after outdoor activity. If you notice a black mole, have it removed immediately. The internet has a wide range of resources on proper tick removal. Or, you may go to a physician or health center. It is important to know that it takes 24 hours for a tick to fully secure itself into your body. So if you find it within the first 24 hours, the disease has not yet transferred itself. After it has been removed, check yourself for rashes.

To prevent a bite in the first place, wear long sleeve shirts and trousers. Insect repellent is also effective.