Huffington Post: The Global Search for Education: Canada – Ticks
Lyme borreliosis, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Bartonella, tularemia, and more recently, Borrelia miyamotoi (a distant relative of Lyme borreliosis) are recognized tick-borne infectious diseases in the United States, among which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) claims Lyme disease is the most common and fastest growing illness. The CDC has very specific criteria for the diagnosis of Lyme disease, which includes a tick bite, a positive Lyme test (laboratory evidence), a bull’s eye rash, and exposure in an endemic area. In 2009, the CDC reported 29,959 Lyme cases, up 216% from 1991. Many Lyme patients do not meet the CDC’s controversial criteria for diagnosis. Additionally, disagreements on the definition and treatment of Lyme disease have spurred decades of bitter debate between the medical community and victims. However, most researchers and Lyme experts agree that the number of people infected in the U.S. today is five to ten times higher than the CDC figures.