How Big of an Issue is Lyme Disease Today on the AT

[tdoczi]

Tdoczi,

We arent running around our homes in a panic like our hair is on fire. but completely blowing it off is just foolish. Im confused as to why you are even present in this thread. The OP asked for lyme disease issues, not how much you dont care about your health.

the OP asked for opinions as to whether or not it was a major concern. my opinion is that it is not. the OP has read all of yours, he has read mine. he can and will make up his own mind. its really very simple.

[tdoczi]

If someone does not feel the risk of contracting Lyme disease is high or the consequences of failure when you do contract the disease is low, then there is really no need to minimize exposure. Others may feel mitigation is a better route and should take any precautions they feel are appropriate. This would be similar to treating/filtering water.

Seems more like a silly conversation in search of an argument.

agreed. but apparently some seem to think a decision to not worry about contracting lyme disease is foolhardy. sort of speaks volumes.

[tdoczi]

If you don't know the difference between acute and long term consequences we can go there, but it might be easier if you go to your local kindergarten teacher and ask her to explain it to you.

i do know the difference, do you? if one contracts lyme disease and shows all the classic telltale symptoms and ignores them and never gets treatment, there is one set of long term consequences. and they are rather nasty. on the other hand, if someone does receive treatment, in some cases, years later there are a completely different set of symptoms that appear and become chronic that some blame on the previous contraction of lyme disease. these 2 problems are not the same thing at all.

[tdoczi]

I went to my Dr a month ago or so. I'm 62. He crunched some numbers into a formula, he told me my 10 year risk of a heart attack was 12%. I did not yell at him to prove his formula. I asked him if I could cut the risk in 1/2. He said no. maybe to 7% I asked him what do I need to do. I've been trying to do that stuff. And yea I feel better too.
Until the big red S appears on your chest on it's own. I'm not going to believe you're Superman.
Seriously, I wish you a long happy life. But you have to change your attitude for that to happen.
Peace and prosperity to you.

my life is likely to be just as long and prosperous as most other's, whether i wear long pants and and sleeves when hiking or not. but no, sadly i am not superman and will die eventually.

a heart attack can kill you. lyme disease? not so much.

[Traveler]

agreed. but apparently some seem to think a decision to not worry about contracting lyme disease is foolhardy. sort of speaks volumes.

Again, its similar to filtering/treating water. Some do not see it as an issue at all and just drink, others may have suffered adverse consequences and treat all their water. It does seem foolhardy to ignore various dangers that can be easily mitigated, when ignoring them completely may be more so. It all comes down to ones risk comfort.

[tdoczi]

Again, its similar to filtering/treating water. Some do not see it as an issue at all and just drink, others may have suffered adverse consequences and treat all their water. It does seem foolhardy to ignore various dangers that can be easily mitigated, when ignoring them completely may be more so. It all comes down to ones risk comfort.

i treat my water. i'm very nonobsessive about it, frankly sometimes sloppy about it to the point where i often consider i should maybe just not bother. despite still at least attempting to treat it, i contracted giardia about 2 years ago. it was unpleasant, but i got treatment for it, it went away and life went on. i'm aware others do not bother treating their water. more power to them. and i suspect that if one is very careful and diligent about how and from where one collects their water, they will probably be absolutely fine. i just not to spend my energy on becoming more expert on water sources and collection. not worth it to me. just as walking around covered in chemical covered clothes seems not worth it. i dont even use insect repellant, i just let the bugs have at me. its all good.

i'm still every bit as sloppy in treating my water, and if i found out tomorrow i had lyme disease i'd still go hiking in shorts next summer. life is too short to worry about every little thing. lyme disease isnt a heart attack, it isnt a fatal car crash and it isnt being struck by lightning.

[Offshore]

they arent **MY** stats. they are the Center for Disease Control's stats.

if someone has stats for how many people hike the AT north of the mason dixon line and how many of those people get confirmed cases of lyme while hiking, id love to hear them. if it were 5% of AT hikers i'd be shocked, and even at a 5% i cant bring myself to worry about it in the least.

But it is **YOUR** misinterpretation of the CDC's stats...

[Pedaling Fool]

The thing about Lyme disease is that it's increasing see here http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/stats/charts...sesbyyear.html

So what ever the number is, unlike other stats that number is changing and it's going in the upward direction. The other thing about Lyme disease, regardless of your chance of contracting this disease as an American, those chances are greatly increased as an AT hiker. I know of several hikers medically diagnosed with this disease.

So for the OP, yes this is a major concern for hikers.

[Offshore]

The thing about Lyme disease is that it's increasing see here http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/stats/charts...sesbyyear.html

So what ever the number is, unlike other stats that number is changing and it's going in the upward direction. The other thing about Lyme disease, regardless of your chance of contracting this disease as an American, those chances are greatly increased as an AT hiker. I know of several hikers medically diagnosed with this disease.

So for the OP, yes this is a major concern for hikers.

I was talking to my internist a couple of weeks ago and he said they are seeing "unprecedented" numbers of Lyme cases this year. He said the majority were from backyard/gardening and very few in outdoor enthusiasts. He speculated that the latter knew of the risks and the means of prevention. (I may start wearing my InsectShield clothing when doing leaf cleanup having heard this.) The irony is that the Lyme disease "deniers" here act as if its a real hassle to reduce your risk of exposure. InsectShield clothing and/or treating your clothing and gear with permethrin is all it takes. This is a simple added step that does nothing to diminish the outdoor experience (unless you're living a "rugged individualist" fantasy).

[Pedaling Fool]

I was talking to my internist a couple of weeks ago and he said they are seeing "unprecedented" numbers of Lyme cases this year. He said the majority were from backyard/gardening and very few in outdoor enthusiasts. He speculated that the latter knew of the risks and the means of prevention.

I can see that, as Lyme disease cases increase hikers may become very good at preventing. Sort of like hypothermia, many get it in the summer, because their guard against it is down, but hikers in the winter are pretty good at avoiding hypothermia.

As for gardeners, I guess that depends on area. I'm always in my garden and I regularly collect leaves from others to mulch in my yard (my yard is mostly like a woodland area, with very little grass). I'm always very keen to look for ticks (having caught Lyme disease in 2006) and have yet to find any, but I'll keep looking...


P.S. I also think that the medical community is behind the eight ball on this disease, but they'll catch up and one day this will not be much of a concern, with a shot or something...

[tdoczi]

But it is **YOUR** misinterpretation of the CDC's stats...

by all means, either cite me specific stats about the prevalence of lyme disease amongst AT hikers (or hikers in general) or give me your reasonable best guess as to what it might be. mine is 5% at most.

[tdoczi]

I was talking to my internist a couple of weeks ago and he said they are seeing "unprecedented" numbers of Lyme cases this year. He said the majority were from backyard/gardening and very few in outdoor enthusiasts. He speculated that the latter knew of the risks and the means of prevention. (I may start wearing my InsectShield clothing when doing leaf cleanup having heard this.) The irony is that the Lyme disease "deniers" here act as if its a real hassle to reduce your risk of exposure. InsectShield clothing and/or treating your clothing and gear with permethrin is all it takes. This is a simple added step that does nothing to diminish the outdoor experience (unless you're living a "rugged individualist" fantasy).

you do what you need to do, and i'll not do what i don't need to do. and the OP will, like all of us, decide for himself.

agreed?

[Offshore]

you do what you need to do, and i'll not do what i don't need to do. and the OP will, like all of us, decide for himself.

agreed?

He should do so using real data that is not subjected to statistical gymnastics in an attempt to prove a point or fit an ideology.

[tdoczi]

He should do so using real data that is not subjected to statistical gymnastics in an attempt to prove a point or fit an ideology.

i'm sure he'll decide for himself whether or not thats what i have done.

[tdoczi]

He should do so using real data that is not subjected to statistical gymnastics in an attempt to prove a point or fit an ideology.

and by all means, do supply the OP, me, and the rest of us, with "real data." seriously, i am interested, as we all are.

i'm the only one who has posted any data of any kind, real, fake, or otherwise. well, sarcasm also posted something, to be fair. its an interesting part of this that i do intend to explore further and see how they arrived at the number of 300,000. it is not clear how they did so at a glance, however.

[The Solemates]

I used to blow off Lyme as if it was nothing. It is no exaggeration to say that I have had hundreds, if not thousands, of ticks on me during my life. I've always lived in wooded areas and spent a lot of time working outdoors. This past summer I contracted Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. I can tell you it aint no joke.

[Offshore]

and by all means, do supply the OP, me, and the rest of us, with "real data." seriously, i am interested, as we all are.

i'm the only one who has posted any data of any kind, real, fake, or otherwise. well, sarcasm also posted something, to be fair. its an interesting part of this that i do intend to explore further and see how they arrived at the number of 300,000. it is not clear how they did so at a glance, however.

Looking forward to see what you come up with next.

[tdoczi]

I used to blow off Lyme as if it was nothing. It is no exaggeration to say that I have had hundreds, if not thousands, of ticks on me during my life. I've always lived in wooded areas and spent a lot of time working outdoors. This past summer I contracted Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. I can tell you it aint no joke.

i dont know much about that disease, it might be horrible. i'm not sure what that means about lyme disease though.

[tdoczi]

Looking forward to see what you come up with next.

so you have no data of any kind to share then?

[soilman]

If you thru hike the AT, you most likely will encounter someone who has contracted lyme disease, norovirus, and/or giardia. A prudent hiker should be aware of these three risks on the trail and respond appropriately.