LymeDisease.org

Letters

If, after reading your article (Lyme disease reports double in Md. in '07, 01/10/08) your readers are concerned about the increase in reported cases of Lyme disease in Maryland, how would they feel if they knew that a Georgia study found that state figures reflect only one case in 40 doctors diagnose? The 2,200 cases counted by the Maryland Dept. of Health last year could represent 88,000 actual cases in the state.

Health departments use the narrow CDC surveillance case definition when deciding which cases to count and which to throw out. This definition is already widely (and inappropriately) used for clinical diagnosis, which depresses the number of reported cases still further. The CDC also pushes doctors to use only FDA-approved test kits, which are insensitive and miss 40% or more of true cases.

The 2,200 cases counted in Maryland are truly the tip of the iceberg.

An online information and support group for people with Lyme in Maryland can be accessed at http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/MarylandLyme/ By helping each other, patients can learn about the alternatives and make informed choices.