“Tick Talk”

“Tick Talk” May 16 at Camden Public Library

May is Lyme Disease Awareness month, and the Camden Public Library will again host Lyme disease specialist Dr. Bea Szantyr, on Thursday evening, May 16, at 7:00 pm. Dr. Szantyr’s “Tick Talk” is an informative look at ticks, the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi which causes Lyme disease, the incidence of Lyme disease in Maine, the difficulties of medical diagnosis, and steps you can take to protect yourself and your family.

According to the Maine State Infectious Disease Epidemiology Report for 2012, the state case rate for Lyme disease in Maine reached a record high in 2012 at 82.4 cases per 100,000 persons. There were 7 counties with rates of Lyme higher than the state rate, including Knox county.

“Lyme disease is a tick-borne illness with variable dermatologic, rheumatologic, neurologic, and cardiac manifestations,” the report continues. “It is caused by a type of bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi, that is carried by infected deer ticks (Ixodes scapularis). Transmission occurs when individuals have an infected deer tick attached to their bodies for at least 24 hours. The first clinical sign of the disease is a skin lesion referred to as the “bull’s-eye” rash or erythema migrans (EM), which occurs in 70-80% of cases nationally 3-30 days after a tick bite. Untreated infections can lead to late clinical findings in skeletal, cardiac, and nervous systems. Late manifestations of disease include: arthritis characterized by recurrent, brief attacks of joint swelling; lymphocytic meningitis; cranial neuritis (such as Bell’s palsy); encephalitis; and second or third degree atrioventricular block.” Although the first sign of the disease is often erythema migrans, EM only shows up in 51% of reported Lyme disease cases in Maine.

Ticks on a migratory songbird
(Photo by John Scott, Journal of Parasitology)

Dr. Szantyr graduated magna cum laude in an honors curriculum with a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Fordham University. She received her Doctorate in Medicine from the University of Connecticut and completed an internship and residency in Internal Medicine, Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at St. Louis University Hospitals and Cardinal Glennon Memorial Hospital for Children. She is board certified in both internal medicine and pediatrics, a member of the American College of Physicians and a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Her exploration of Lyme disease and other chronic debilitating illnesses began more than ten years ago and now consists of thousands of hours in related activities. She is a member of the Vector Borne Disease Workgroup in the state of Maine as well as a member of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society. She has lectured to professional and community groups throughout Maine and New England on Lyme disease and associated tick-borne disorders.