Lyme Disease

Ticks beware! The Montgomery County Health Department yesterday announced a seven-point initiative to attack Lyme disease. "This plan represents Montgomery County's efforts to launch an all-out offensive against Lyme disease," said health director Gary Gurian during a Board of Health meeting in Norristown. Hailed by local Lyme disease activists, the plan calls for epidemiological, environmental and educational programs. "It's pretty comprehensive," said Neil Goldstein, co-founder of the Lyme Project, a group that promotes awareness of the disease.

The Montgomery County Health Department is warning park visitors about the presence of deer ticks, which carry Lyme disease. Signs are posted in Lorimer Park in Abington, Valley Forge National Historical Park and Fort Washington State Park.

The incidence of Lyme disease in Montgomery County this year is expected to be at least 50 percent higher than last year, according to state health officials and a local Lyme disease watchdog group. Meanwhile, the reported incidence of rabies in the state so far this year is unchanged. State epidemiologist Dr. Bobby Jones said there was no way to predict what the figures would be by the end of the year. Montgomery County, which had the highest reported number of rabies cases last year, 83, has 10 cases so far this year.

Rachel Longstaff wants the world to know about Lyme disease. The Huntingdon Valley resident recently helped draft a letter to local, state and federal officials to request that they educate residents and doctors about the strange disease spread by tiny deer ticks that live in lawns and wooded areas. The letter was signed by 50 of Longstaff's neighbors and sent to the state Department of Health, the Bryn Athyn Board of Health, the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, state Rep. Roy Cornell, state Sen. Stuart Greenleaf and Huntingdon Valley officials.

In a possible breakthrough in the diagnosis of Lyme disease, immunologists have pinpointed an antibody that the body produces within days of being exposed to the Lyme bacteria. The discovery could lead to a test that would quickly prove whether someone actually had the disease. Once diagnosed, the disease can usually be cured with antibiotics. This discovery "could lead more rapidly to effective treatment," said Steven E. Schutzer, an immunologist at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey who led the research team.

Lyme disease is spreading in Pennsylvania, especially in Delaware and Montgomery Counties, and the state Department of Agriculture has funded a three-year research project to find out where the sometimes-crippling illness is headed. "It is a major disease of concern," said Thomas Bast, an entomologist with the state Bureau of Forestry. A research team from Pennsylvania State University received $47,945 in January to identify areas infested by Ixodes dammini, the deer tick, said Karl Valley, an entomologist with the Agriculture Department.

When Amy Jones moved to Huntingdon Valley in eastern Montgomery County last June, she looked forward to frolicking with her children on the grassy lawn of her tree-shaded back yard. A year later, however, her attention is focused not on recreation, but upon a strange disease spread by tiny deer ticks that has reached epidemic proportions along her street, Papermill Road. Both she and her daughters, Alanna and Adena, have suffered from the crimson rashes and flu-like symptoms of Lyme disease, an infectious ailment that can cause serious heart, nerve and arthritic disorders if not properly treated.

Even as Pennsylvania conditionally approved a canine vaccine for Lyme disease, an encouraging development for dog owners, state and local officials last week said that cases reported in humans are running roughly at or above the same high rate of last year. Preliminary figures compiled in Reading by the southeast district office of the State Department of Health and the independent department in Chester County show increases in cases in the three Main Line counties. Montgomery County, for example, has reported 106 cases of Lyme disease this year.

The few empty corners of Cindy Hodgson's life were thoroughly filled last summer. She got Lyme disease. First there was a 105-degree fever. Then the Ardmore mother of two, athlete and graphics designer suffered facial paralysis, crippling arthritic pain and, finally, a complete loss of energy. It was different for Edward Angelo, 45, a Malvern real estate investor, bodybuilder and former professional singer. Lyme disease paralyzed his voice box and gave him a three-week headache so severe he felt like putting a power drill to his skull.

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts are using a parasitic wasp to help control the spread of Lyme disease. Scientists said they had infected deer ticks for the first time with a tiny, parasitic wasp. The work on islands off the Massachusetts coast promises a natural, self-perpetuating way to help combat the potentially crippling disease, which afflicts at least 9,300 people around the country. People develop Lyme disease from the bite of deer ticks, which feed on human blood.

NEWARK, Del. - The day before she returned, Elena Delle Donne sat on a far bench at the Bob Carpenter Complex with Delaware coach Tina Martin. Before the Blue Hens' women's basketball star was to play for the first time in a month, against ninth-ranked Maryland nonetheless, her coach wanted to go over the sign she was to use if she needed an in-game sub. The start to this season, her final as a collegiate athlete, has been far from ideal for Delle Donne, a preseason national player of the year candidate.

Study finds little effect from fasting before cholesterol tests Doctors will tell you: For accurate results, fast for at least eight hours before a lipid profile, the blood test for cholesterol, lipoproteins, and triglycerides. But a study last week in Archives of Internal Medicine says fasting is probably unnecessary. Two Canadian scientists studied records of more than 200,000 people who completed at least one lipid profile during a six-month period. Average levels for total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol varied less than 2 percent overall for the fasting times, ranging from one to 16 hours.

St. Joseph's spoiled Drexel's home opener Wednesday night, beating the Dragons, 47-45, on guard Erin Shields' three-pointer at the buzzer. Down by as many as eight in the second half, the Hawks (1-1) fought back behind Shields (Archbishop Carroll), who had a team-high 18 points. The Dragons fell to 1-1. Trailing by 39-32 with under 11 minutes to go, St. Joseph's took its first lead of the second half on a jumper by Shields with 1:09 remaining. Drexel responded as Hollie Marshon scored two of her game-high 19 points on a jump shot with 26 seconds to go. Later - following a tipped ball that gave the ball back to the Hawks with less than a second left on the clock - sophomore Natasha Cloud (Cardinal O'Hara)

LITITZ, Pa. - The wolf-dog met the media Tuesday, panting but content. The animal formerly known as Levi was introduced to the public with a new name - Liberty - to reflect his connection to Philadelphia, where he was loose in Pennypack Park from March until his capture July 3. That's his third name in five months; when he was only a ghostly, lurking presence in the park, before anyone knew he was Levi, Liberty was actually called Penny....

For six weeks, Lisa Maguire's chestnut-colored pony refused to walk and was barely able to hold her own weight. "If a horse can't stand," said Maguire, "it can't live. " The veterinarian said the 6-year-old horse was suffering from diabetes. But medications proved ineffective, and a Lyme disease test was negative. Worried, Maguire turned to Jennifer Dickman, an animal communicator. Performing Reiki, a Japanese healing practice, on Ruby on Christmas morning 2009, Dickman communed with the horse at Maguire's seven-acre farm in Fort Washington.

I'm sure those of you with pets understand why for the past couple of weeks we've been sleeping with the dog. Note I didn't say the dog has been sleeping with us. It's definitely the other way around - we've been living together in the den like a pack from the Paleolithic era. What price man's best friend? Harley had knee surgery, so for eight weeks all stairs remain off-limits. Our bedroom is on the second floor. And while the thought crossed my mind to let the dog sleep at the bottom of the stairs, this thought didn't occur to my wife.

Since Williamstown senior Paul Szulewski missed his junior track season because of stress reactions in both shins, it appears as if he has been running uphill. Szulewski has had to overcome injury, then illness, and finally doubt from recruiters that both situations created. Yet Szulewski maintained strong faith in his ability, reasoning that once he regained his health, everything would fall into place. And that is exactly what happened. Even though he couldn't train during the summer while recovering from his injury, and even though he came down with Lyme disease early in the cross-country season, Szulewski finished the fall season strong and has been riding the momentum ever since.

Since Williamstown senior Paul Szulewski missed his junior track season because of stress reactions in both shins, it appears as if has been running uphill. Szulewski has had to overcome injury, then illness and finally doubt from recruiters that both situations created. Yet Szulewski maintained strong faith in his ability, reasoning that once he regained his health, everything would fall into place. And that is exactly what happened. Even though he couldn't train during the summer while recovering from his injury, and even though he came down with Lyme disease early in the cross-country season, Szulewski finished the fall season strong and has been riding the momentum ever since.

Authorities said a doctor who practiced in Kennett Square and was known for treating Lyme disease had another specialty: making unwanted advances to female patients. Peter Fabulian, 63, of Strasburg, who pleaded guilty in December to two counts of indecent assault, was sentenced Tuesday to one month in prison and five months of electronic home confinement, followed by two years of probation. "I know I've hurt people; I never meant to hurt people," Fabulian told Chester County Judge David F. Bortner.