The Importance of Monitoring Your Kids for Tick-Borne Diseases
MILPITAS, CA, May 13, 2019 — Dave Holt knew something was wrong. His daughter, Lucy, a talented soccer player and all-around normal, active, and outgoing 12-year-old girl, was not herself. She had stopped running fast on the soccer field and had started to come home from school and fall asleep in the middle of the day. This was not his daughter.
At first, Dave thought it might be just a phase, or something “in her head.” But as the problem persisted, he knew it had to be more serious. Dave and his wife took Lucy to a pediatrician who ran heart, blood, and lung tests, and found nothing wrong. It certainly wasn’t Lyme disease, they were told. This was a relief, but as the symptoms continued, they were convinced that something was legitimately wrong with Lucy and they knew they needed a second opinion.
Dave was persuaded by a friend who worked at IGeneX, a tick-borne-disease testing lab in California, that Lucy’s symptoms were typical of someone with Lyme disease. “Thank God I knew someone in the industry who could describe the symptoms to me,” said Dave. “At that point, I knew I needed to get her tested.” Dave and his wife had Lucy tested at IGeneX, and the tests confirmed the presence of both Lyme disease and Babesia in Lucy’s blood sample.
After the diagnosis, Lucy went to Pacific Frontier Medical, Inc. for treatment, and six months later she was cured. Today she is back to her normal self, competing in soccer and going on campouts and backpacking adventures. Lucy is once again a full-of-life teenager.
For a video of Lucy’s story of overcoming Lyme Disease and Babesia, please go here.
May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month
Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in the US, affecting more than 300,000 people in the United States every year. Children are at the highest risk of acquiring Lyme disease, and the Children’s Lyme Network reports that at least 75,000 children are diagnosed with Lyme disease annually. In fact, more children are diagnosed with Lyme disease each year than all combined cases of pediatric cancer, type 1 diabetes, cystic fibrosis, and epilepsy.
A child or teenager is more at risk for Lyme disease during the spring and summer months, when school is out and ticks are more active. Ticks live in wooded areas, low-growing grasslands, and yards where kids typically congregate. “Young people are more at risk in these places, or around a pet that has been in these areas,” says Dr. Jyotsna Shah, President of IGeneX. “Parents need to caution their children on where to go, and should monitor them for any potential Lyme-like symptoms.”
Lyme disease in the US is primarily caused by a bacterium called Borrelia. This bacterium is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected blacklegged ticks. Typical symptoms of Lyme disease include fever, headache, fatigue, and a skin rash that has a characteristic bullseye appearance. The symptoms of Lyme disease can be so debilitating for young people that participating in school and youth activities is nearly impossible.
For more information on Lyme disease and how to get tested, please visit www.igenex.com or www.cdc.gov. For an infographic of Lyme Disease statistics, please go here.
Contact:
Joe Sullivan
Head of Marketing
IGeneX, Inc.
jsullivan@igenex.com
408-504-7691
