Lyme disease often undiagnosed in Kentucky

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Experts say Lyme disease is likely underdiagnosed in Kentucky in part because it is so rarely seen in the state.

The number of cases is rising nationally, but just five cases were reported in Kentucky in each of the past two years.

Mike Schardein, a health policy specialist for the state's Department for Public Health, told The Courier-Journal that he believes there are several cases that haven't been confirmed because doctors don't usually test for it.

Lyme disease is spread by the black-legged deer tick, which is rarely seen in Kentucky. However, University of Kentucky entomologist Lee Townsend said all types of ticks emerged early this year due to the unusually warm weather. Deer ticks in Kentucky are primarily found in the Daniel Boone National Forest.

Greater Louisville Medical Society spokeswoman Ellen Hale says that organization is drafting a policy on how to treat possible Lyme disease cases. She says there's "a gray area" surrounding them because information from the state says the disease doesn't exist in Kentucky.

Louisville resident Mike Gatton, who contracted Lyme disease a couple of years ago, said he ended up seeking treatment in Indiana after doctors in Kentucky told him that something else must be causing his symptoms.

Tondia Burrows, co-founder of a support group for those with the disease, said she hopes that stories like Gatton's show the disease is a threat in the state.

"We are here. So why can't the deer tick be here, too?" she said.

Early symptoms of the disease include a fever, headache and fatigue, which can be accompanied by a rash. If not treated, the disease can cause arthritis or spread to the heart and nervous system.

Dr. Paul Schulz, a Norton infectious disease specialist in Louisville, said he follows guidelines that say a person should be bitten in an area where ticks are prevalent when deciding whether a patient is eligible for Lyme disease treatment.

"The issue is that this is not a big area for Lyme so most just don't meet the criteria," he said.

Paul Mead, a consulting physician for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the local frequency of a disease is essential to consider before making a diagnosis.

"For example,' he said in an email, "a physician in Africa evaluating a child for fever should have malaria at the top of his list; a physician in Kentucky should not."

Schulz said a tick bite doesn't mean that a person will get Lyme disease.

"For the 10 I've treated, I've seen 10 times as many people who think they have Lyme" but don't, Schulz said.