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LDAOhio:
Providing education, advocacy, and support for Lyme disease patients, the professionals who work with them, and people at risk in Ohio

LDAOhio Quarterly Meetings The meetings are held at Ashland Specialty Chemical Company 5200 Blazer Parkway Dublin, OH 43017 (See directions below) Everyone is welcome to attend: Lyme patients, families and friends, advocates, researchers and medical professionals. For more information: e-mail: LDAOhio Directions to Ashland Specialty Chemical Co.: Get to I-270 from any major highway. You want to head for Dublin area (NW quadrant). Exit Rt. 33/161 East. At the first light turn right onto Franz Rd. Go about 3 traffic lights (pass Max and Ermas, Graeter's on the right). Turn right onto Blazer Parkway. Follow around until you see Ashland [Chemical Co] on the right. Park in front of the building with all the flags. Go in, sign-in and go right from the desk to the first open door on your right.

See our page with instructions and information on checking your property for Ticks. Click Here

Mission Statement
The Lyme Disease Association of Ohio, an organization of all individuals interested in Lyme disease including patients, physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals, supports Lyme disease patients, the professionals who work with them, and the people at risk in Ohio by educational projects and by advocacy for those with the disease and those directly and indirectly affected by the disease, its diagnosis and treatment.

LDAOhio MEMBERSHIP

                                                              

Please return this form with your check or money order payable to LDAOhio.
[Send to]  Mary Jane Long, Treasurer 
			 LDAOhio
			 P.O. Box 360434
               		Columbus, OH 43236
Please check all that apply:
___Individual Membership ($15/year)
___Family Membership ($15/year) include names of all family members who want to
become non-voting members of LDAOhio.
___Additional Donation of $____ to help with LDAOhio expenses for education and
advocacy.
___A donation in honor/memory of _______________________________________________
     for $___________

LDAOhio is an 501(c)(4) non-profit corporation. A donation may not be tax deductible. 
Please check with your tax consultant.

Name:		 				  Phone: (    ) _________
________________________________________________________________________________ 
Address:
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City:			          State:			Zip (9digits)
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e-mail address:						FAX Number:
_________________________________________________________________________________
Organization (if any)			  Business Phone: (___)____________
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Family Member Names(s):				Relationship:
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I am interested in offering assistance in the following areas:
___Education materials				____Speaker's Bureau
___Membership					____Advocacy
___Commuinications				         ____ Special Activities
Special skills/Resources you want 
to share with LDAOHio____________________________________________________________

Frequently Asked Questions About Lyme Disease In Ohio There is considerable debate in the medical community about what Lyme disease is and how long treatment should last. The confusion exists because of the lack of a clinical definition of Lyme disease and the existence of an epidemiological definition intended only for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) surveillance purposes. The surveillance definition is often mistakenly used to diagnose or fail to diagnose the disease. Further, there is no treatment protocol for Lyme disease approved by the Federal Drug Administration and only one drug approved (December 1996) by the FDA for treatment of early Lyme disease (cefuroxime).

What is Lyme disease?
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, a spirochete. Infection is caused by the bite of an infected tick. Initial symptoms after the tick bite are usually mild and go away with or without simple antibiotic treatment - leading to the myth that the disease is not serious. If an infection is untreated, or is not treated quickly or long enough, the spirochetes disseminate throughout the body. The result can be a very serious multisystem infection, potentially long-lasting and often difficult to treat. The disease can progress to disabling and debilitating symptoms and/or present life-threatening complications.

Is there Lyme disease in Ohio?
Yes! Cases have been reported from every part of the state. In 2000, 89 reports were made to the Ohio Department of Health's Vector-borne Disease Unit (VBDU). Of those, 61 cases were reported to the CDC as fitting the epidemiologic survey definition. Ohio ranks 16th in the nation for 2000 according to the CDC. Between 1984 and 2000, 681 cases were reported to the CDC from Ohio. 80 of Ohio's 88 counties have reported cases.

Is it necessary to report cases of Lyme disease?
Reporting is mandatory! Your doctor is required to report all cases that meet the CDC surveillance criteria: (1) Erythema migrans rash, or; (2) One late manifestation (musculoskeletal, nervous or cardiovascular system) and laboratory confirmation of infection. Cases are reported to the county health department where the patient resides. It in turn reports the case to the Ohio Department of Health(ODH). The ODH reports cases to the CDC which monitors the incidence of the disease nationally.

How is early Lyme disease diagnosed?
Earliest diagnosis of Lyme disease is from the characteristic erythema migrans rash which may begin a few days to a few weeks after a tick bite. This expanding pink rash may clear in the center, taking on a bull's-eye appearance. Photograph it! Its unique appearance confirms a Lyme disease diagnosis. Antibiotic treatment must start immediately. The rash may be followed within a few days or weeks by flu-like symptoms; mild to severe headache, fever, general malaise, muscular aches and pains, swollen lymph nodes, fatigue and less commonly, nausea, vomiting, and conjunctivitis. However, it is estimated 20% to 40% of those infected do not get the erythema migrans rash. Or, the rash may be atypical, resembling sunburn or poison ivy. Flu-like symptoms are not present in some patients. The patient may present to a physician for the first time with advanced disease.

What is the role of laboratory tests in diagnosing Lyme disease?
Routine laboratory tests are used to rule out other diseases. Beyond that, the CDC indicates the laboratory tests for Lyme disease itself are unreliable, producing false positives and false negatives. The usual serology (antibody) tests such as the ELISA or IFA can be negative, especially in the early course of the disease when the patient has not yet began producing antibodies. The Western Blot (antibody test) is used primarily to confirm a positive ELISA or IFA. Even the new tests for spirochetal antigens are unreliable; they may be positive some days and not on others. The polymerase chain reaction PCR) technique is available but not 100% accurate. No negative lab test rules out Lyme disease, so the diagnosis must be a clinical one. Laboratory testing for Lyme disease can confirm a clinical diagnosis, but time is critical. Treatment should be started as soon as a clinical diagnosis can be made to avoid long-term complications.

How is Lyme disease diagnosed if the patient does not present with early classic symptoms?
Lyme disease is a clinical diagnosis according to the CDC. There is no substitute for a careful patient history. Beyond the very earliest stage, this is a multisystemic disease. It is necessary to conceptualize it as a multisystemic disease in order to diagnose it beyond early stages; it is not easily diagnosed from a list of symptoms as most diseases are. The manifestations of the disease can vary among patients in the later stages. It is often relapsing, with episodes of illness alternating with seemingly well periods. A key question to ask the patient to provide a useful history is "When were you last well?" Most Lyme disease patients are formerly healthy people who can often pinpoint when they began getting sick with "one thing after another." It is often helpful to know when and where a patient has traveled just before becoming ill.

What is the treatment for Lyme disease?
Lyme disease patients respond to certain antibiotics and treatment of early infection is usually 4 to 6 weeks. Patients with late stage disease often require more extensive treatment than most medical literature indicates. An initial Jarish-Herxheimer reaction (a temporary worsening of symptoms) occurs and must be distinguished from antibiotic allergy. Improvement from antibiotic therapy helps confirm the diagnosis. Some physicians with extensive experience in treating this disease are willing to consult with other physicians who have questions.

What time of year is Lyme disease acquired?
Most cases are acquired in warm months but Lyme disease can be acquired any time of year. Ticks become active when the outdoor temperature is at least 40 degrees Farenheit.

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