1. In order to discuss the controversy of Lymes Disease, first I must establish what Lymes disease exactly is. “Lymes disease is caused by the bacteria Borrelia and it is spread by ticks” (Harvard). The biggest controversy surrounding Lymes disease is to determine whether an individual has persistent or chronic Lyme disease. “Most people diagnosed with Lyme do very well after taking prescribed course of antibiotics” (Harvard). In these select cases the people are able to return back to everyday life, activities and work relatively soon and have little to no complications. However, these cases are not the status quo and large subsets of patients are actually found to have complications due to Lymes that last months and even years after treatment. This wide variety of cases ultimately led to the “Lyme wars”. “The clash emerged from doctors’ offices, and spread to public hearings in state houses around the country” (Harvard). One of the main arguments and disputable claims brought up in these debates was how long to treat Lymes. To this day most physicians follow a two to four week treatment and even the CDC recommends this length of treatment. On the other half of the argument people suffering from Lyme disease need to be taken case by case not by one universal treatment, “there is anecdotal evidence from a few patients who improved after months of antibiotic treatment” (Harvard). The entirety of the Lymes disease controversy can be summed up into one word; money. It is fair to admit that the disease is tough to treat and that the bacteria Borrelia is a pathogen with unique characteristics and can even hide in the human body undetected. The International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society states, “Borrelia burgdorferi, sequesters and hides in deep-seated tissue, such as ligaments, tendons, bone, brain, eye, and scar tissue. This stealth pathogen is persistent in the body, and is hard to treat”(1). Medical professionals and doctors refuse to believe that this bacterium is associated with Lymes and thus condemn testing so patients get sick and their conditions intensify and they receive no treatment, but yet in their denial these doctors still get a paycheck and these corporations save money and not having to produce test kits.
2. Lyme disease has become a controversial topic in the eyes of modern medicine over the years. Lyme disease is the condition caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. This infection causes many different reactions to its victims, some of which include: headaches, rashes, joint pains, and fatigue (CDC). Lyme disease is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected ticks. These vectors are commonly found in wooded and unmaintained wild areas.
Lyme disease can reside in the human body undetected in a dormant state. When the symptoms start presenting is when the patient finally becomes aware that they need to see a doctor. Once diagnosed, Lyme disease is treated with an antibiotic that is taken over the course of two to three weeks. It has been observed after taking the course of antibiotics that the majority of patients fully recover (CDC). Observing this medical data, professionals have concluded that once the course of antibiotics have been completed that you are “cured” from the infection. However, in a small amount of cases, symptoms like muscle aches and severe fatigue can endure within the patient (CDC). This is a condition called “Post-treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome” (PTLDS) or also known as Chronic Lyme Disease (CDC). These symptoms can last for more than six months. Some medical professionals believe these symptoms to be in the minds of those affected and not actually caused by the infection.
This however creates a heated debate between medical professionals. Some doctors believe there is merit in treating Chronic Lyme Disease. However, some feel there is no need to continue treatment after the course of the antibiotics because any symptoms that the patient may be experiencing is “psychosomatic” (Under Our Skin). Insurance companies discovered these ideas and felt it was unnecessary to continue further treatments for the illness after the treatment of antibiotics. These companies began to start refusing to cover additional costs of medicines that the people affected by the disease may need (Under Our Skin). They took this measure because they feel if the treatments are unnecessary there is no need take on the additional costs. Saving money is always a priority for the insurance industry. The quote in the trailer said it best, “They just do not want to pay.” (Under Our Skin). While this “Lyme war” is occurring, patients are struggling trying to obtain the necessary medicine to help give them relief.
Watching the trailer for “Under Our Skin”, I saw that doctors who stand up for their patients and their needs are risking their license and careers. Some doctors do not want to take this risk. This creates an unfortunate situation for the patients, because they now have to look elsewhere for help and possibly not being accepted as a patient. This could also be a burden because if the patient does find someone willing to treat them, the insurance company may not even cover the medicine to help treat their ailments. This “war” is more about money and less about the health and well-being of the patient.
3. Pertussis also better known as the whooping cough, is an extremely contagious respiratory disease. Pertussis is caused by the bacterium called bordetella pertussis. The bacteria attaches to the cilia which is the upper lining of the respiratory system the bacteria then releases toxins to the cilia which causes the airway to swell making it hard to breathe and causes the whooping sound when you inhale or take a deep breath. This respiratory disease can spread by coughing and sneezing when you’re near another person sharing the same breathing space. You become most contagious for two weeks after the cough begins, but with antibiotics it can reduce the amount of time someone is contagious. You can receive the pertussis vaccination to prevent this disease but just like every other vaccination it is not 100% effective. When pertussis circulates in the community there is a chance that a fully vaccinated person of any age can still catch this disease. Some of the early symptoms can last from one to two weeks including runny nose, low fever, mild cough, and apnea which is more common in babies. Another extremely contagious disease that spreads easily called parotitis or better known as mumps can be spread in a couple different ways such as airborne respiratory droplets, by saliva, and touching a contaminated surface. Mumps affect the parotid glands, salivary glands below and in front of the ears. When symptoms occur they include fever, headaches, swollen and painful salivary glands, fatigue and appetite loss. To prevent getting the mumps you can get a mumps vaccine called the MMR vaccine which can help prevent mumps, measles and rubella. The CDC recommends children get two vaccines a year.
4. To discuss the outbreak of the Mumps virus I will first explain what exactly the virus is. According to the Mayo Clinic, “Mumps is a viral infection that primarily affects saliva producing glands that are located near your ears. Mumps can cause swelling in one or both of these glands” (1). The virus is easily spread from person to person contact, such as sharing saliva with an infected individual through kissing, ingesting saliva droplets and using the same utensils such as forks, spoons, etc. Before the Mumps vaccination program started in 1967, the virus was very common in the United States with about 186,000 cases being reported each year. However, ever since the two dose MMR vaccination program kicked off in the 1980’s the cases in the United States dropped by over 99%. That being said outbreaks do still occur in the U.S. and around the world, the CDC reports “from 2015 to 2017, the U.S. saw a range of different Mumps outbreak settings and sizes. Cases started to increase in late 2015. From January 2016 to June 2017, health departments reported over 150 outbreaks (9,200 cases). (1). These outbreaks originated all the way from schools and households to church groups and sports teams all closely associated with being near other people in very closed settings. The biggest outbreak occurred in Arkansas where a close knit community reported over 3,000 cases alone. Viruses like Mumps are just one of the thousand viruses we live with everyday, we learn to combat it and prevent it but still it reemerges.
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