Tick Bite
Please pray for me. I just found a tick on my leg. I've removed it and saved it for lab testing, and started on some precautionary Minocycline in addition to my current antibiotics.
One might think "I already have Lyme disease, so it can't get worse, right?" But there are hundreds of different strains of Lyme and more than a dozen co-infections that ticks can also carry. Different strains or diseases respond differently to various antibiotics. We might not even have developed the antibiotics necessary for some kinds. Furthermore, Lyme can hide in the body and wall itself away from the reach of antibiotics, so having a larger quantity of even one strain running around in you can mean a tougher time eradicating it. Lyme spirochetes are the most advanced bacteria known to man in terms of self-defense mechanisms and adaptability.
I'm not sure what the chances are of this tick having been infected with something. I do know that about 50% of ticks in New Jersey carry Bartonella, a serious co-infection that I currently have. The DoD says 12% to 15% of deer ticks carry Lyme; UMD Medical Center says that it can vary from 1% to 90% depending on where you live. It's 50% to 70% in New Hampshire. Loudon County in NoVA has the third highest rate of new diagnosed cases in the country, which probably corresponds to a high infected percentage of ticks. Add in the percentages for ticks that carry co-infections, and the conclusion is that you REALLY REALLY REALLY don't want to get bitten by a tick.
Protect yourself from ticks.
One might think "I already have Lyme disease, so it can't get worse, right?" But there are hundreds of different strains of Lyme and more than a dozen co-infections that ticks can also carry. Different strains or diseases respond differently to various antibiotics. We might not even have developed the antibiotics necessary for some kinds. Furthermore, Lyme can hide in the body and wall itself away from the reach of antibiotics, so having a larger quantity of even one strain running around in you can mean a tougher time eradicating it. Lyme spirochetes are the most advanced bacteria known to man in terms of self-defense mechanisms and adaptability.
I'm not sure what the chances are of this tick having been infected with something. I do know that about 50% of ticks in New Jersey carry Bartonella, a serious co-infection that I currently have. The DoD says 12% to 15% of deer ticks carry Lyme; UMD Medical Center says that it can vary from 1% to 90% depending on where you live. It's 50% to 70% in New Hampshire. Loudon County in NoVA has the third highest rate of new diagnosed cases in the country, which probably corresponds to a high infected percentage of ticks. Add in the percentages for ticks that carry co-infections, and the conclusion is that you REALLY REALLY REALLY don't want to get bitten by a tick.
Protect yourself from ticks.