Lyme disease affects man and his dog

By John Behling
People bitten by a tick who become ill could very well have lyme disease. Roger Kleppe, 62, of North Branch discovered a tick on the underside of his right arm in early June. He soon developed a raised rash that itched. Then he began to feel numbness in his knees and shoulders.
He made an appointment for the doctor right away.
The physician didnít hesitate in his diagnosis.
ìI raised my arm (to show him the rash) and he said ëYep, thatís Lyme ... Didnít even need a blood test,î Kleppe said.
Roger Kleppeís wife, Jean Kleppe, had a simular experience when she had Lyme a couple of years ago.
ìThe doctor said ëWeíre not going to fool aroundí,î Jean said. A rash had developed within a day of when she discovered the tick.
Most of the time Lyme disease is diagnosed without a blood test, according to Dr. William Piotrowski of Fairview Lakes, North Branch.
ìIf you have a tick bite and youíre sick, you have it.î Piotrowski said. ìSome people get a rash, some people donít.î
Roger Kleppe was prescribed Doxycycline, an antibiotic, to aggressively treat the disease.
Although Kleppe was quick in observing the signs of Lyme disease, he failed to pay attention to the side effects of Doxycycline, which include increased sensitivity to the sun.
While on a company fishing trip in June. Kleppe experienced serious sunburn on his hands and ears.
ìI donít burn, Iím a farmer. Itís always been that way,î Kleppe said. Kleppe still has scaring from the burns visible under the skin of his hands and still experiences numbness in his fingers.
It was enough for Kleppe to stay out of the sun for the duration of his treatment. Because he treated the disease early and aggressively, Kleppe was able to stop the disease in its early phase.
Lyme disease was named for Lyme, Connecticut where it was first identified in 1977.
It is found in the northeastern, mid-Atlantic and upper north-central regions of the country. Deer ticks, the carriers for Lyme disease, live in heavily wooded areas and feed on rodents and deer in their early phases.
An infected tick must be attached to a host for 36 hours in order to transmit the disease.
Symptoms in humans from the first 3 to 30 days include: rash, fever, chills, headache, muscle and joint pain and fatigue. Symptoms that can appear from days to weeks after the onset of the disease include multiple rashes, partial paralysis of the face and irregular heartbeat.
If left untreated patients can develop arthritis and nervous system problems.
Crow Wing county has the highest number of occurrences of Lyme in Minnesota. According to a study by the Minnesota Department of Health, there were 530 cases of Lyme disease in Crow Wing county, more than the combined total for the seven county metro-area. Chisago County ranks fifth in that study with 94 cases between 1993-2002.
There have been five cases of Lyme in Chisago County that fit the national case definition this year. In 2002 there were 25. Ticks remain active until October, however their peak time is in July.
There are other considerations with these numbers.
ìOne out of three cases reported doesnít fall under the national case definition,î said David Neitzel, an epidemiologist from the Minnesota Department of Health. Neitzel said the case definition they use is much more narrow than one that would be used by a physician to diagnose the disease.
Not all cases are reported either. Dr. Piotrowski said that when there isnít a blood test, the reporting of Lyme disease is left up to the physician. Because many physicians are very busy, this doesnít always happen, according to Piotrowski.
According to Minnesota Department of Heath Communications Director Doug Schultz, there have been 123 reported cases of Lyme disease in Minnesota to this date. There were 867 cases reported last year. Schultz said there are around 200 cases pending research that could be recorded as Lyme. But even if every case was reported, Minnesota would be nearly 500 cases behind last year.
Lyme affects dogs
Although Lyme numbers in humans appear to be down, such is not the case with Canine Lyme Disease.
Months before Roger Kleppe encountered the disease himself, his black labrador, Dewey, contracted Lyme.
Kleppe said Dewey may have contracted Lyme as early as February. Unfortunately it wasnít detected soon enough.
Dewey now weighs around 40 pounds. He used to weigh 60. His failing kidneys no longer can absorb any nutrition. Although he said he hopes the symptoms will reverse, Kleppe said he doesnít expect them to.
ìI see it (cases of Lyme) on almost a daily basis,î said Dr. Al Kemplin, of North Branch Veterinary Hospital.
Kemplin said the increase could be attributed to milder winters, better testing and increased deer and dog populations. Kemplin said the best way to prevent the disease is vaccination and the use of Frontline, an on-spot tick control product.
Limping or showing pain in the joints is a sign of the disease in animals. An in-house blood test can determine the presence of the disease. Treatment is with antibiotics as it is with humans. There were 134 cases of Canine Lyme Disease were reported in 2002. Numbers for 2003 were not available at press time.
More information on Lyme Disease can be found at the Centers for Disease Control Web site www.cdc.gov.

Top of Page

©ECM Post Review

6448 Main Street
North Branch, MN 55056
Telephone: 651-674-7025
Fax: 651-674-7026
E-mail: editor.postreview@ecm-inc.com