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By LISA G. CURRIE
Rappahannock News Staff Writer
Nearly everyone has heard of them; few have actually seen one; fewer still have become victims.
Lyme disease — the flu-like malady which starts with a circular, raised bump often mistaken for a rash and if left untreated, can lead to neurological or heart problems —has become an unseen threat to many outdoorsmen.
The disease, caused by a spirochete organism, is transmitted by the bite of tiny, almost microscopic deer ticks. The ticks are found across the United States, from coastal marshlands to the Plains and Rocky Mountains.
According to the Virginia Department of Health, in 1988 30 cases were recorded, with the highest incidence, 17, in the coastal area. Central Virginia recorded eight cases, the northwestern region two, and the southwestern and northern regions reported one each.
In the Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District, which includes Rappahannock County, Dr. John Einarson said an 18-year-old Orange County youth is the only reported case so far.
Dr. Einarson, who is the district’s health director, said that doctors and health department personnel have been warned to look for symptoms like the tell-tale circular skin lesion, but “one out of five victims may not suffer from this,” which makes diagnosis difficult. Compounding the diagnostic problems is the fact that the disease mimics the common flu in its early stages.
But, Dr. Einarson warned, victims may be in for a prolonged recovery period if treatment is not begun early. The infection can be treated with antibiotics like penicillin, tetracycline or erythromycin, and the sooner treatment is begun, the better the results. “If this is not treated adequately, the victim may have a relapse.”
When the disease was first isolated about 10 yi?ars ago, it was believed to be isolated to coastal regions, like Lyme, Connecticut, where the first case was diagnosed —hence the name. Since then, however, cases have been reported across the country, wherever the deer tick is found.
White-tailed deer are often blamed for carrying the disease, al
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