hacked by p@3t_b@y for turks

By Matthew Taylor: 10:20am Monday 26th October 2009
A FATHER-of-two is seriously ill with the potentially life-threatening Lyme Disease after being bitten by a blood-sucking parasite while in the Lake District.

Father of two, Kevin Slater, 48, was walking in Grisedale Valley, Patterdale, when he was bitten by a tick.

A tick is an arachnid that cuts through flesh with barbed teeth before inserting a needle-like feeding tube.

The disease has now developed into encephalitis – inflammation of the brain that can cause brain damage, blindness and even death.

Now, after receiving conflicting medical advice, Mr Slater is calling for a greater recognition of Lyme Disease among the UK medical profession, and that landowners erect warning signs in places known to house ticks carrying Lyme Disease.

Mr Slater noticed the parasite clinging to his calf while in the shower the day after the walk in August.

“It looked like a blood clot. I brushed it and it fell off.

“I picked it up and could see it had small legs. It was fully engorged – very round and filled with blood,” he said.

Aware not all ticks carry Lyme Disease, Mr Slater carried on as normal.

“Three days later I began to feel very odd. The first feeling was like motion sickness; light headed and giddy. Then there was a feeling of nausea,” he said.

Mr Slater, a self-employed engineering consultant from York, was in Germany and rang NHS Direct.

Back in the UK, he visited various doctors, becoming frustrated with their advice, which he felt was contradictory.

NHS director of public health for the North West, Professor John Ashton, said the UK was behind America in recognising Lyme Disease, but steps were now being taken to make people more aware of the dangers.

Mr Slater has been unable to work for eight weeks and is currently receiving antibiotic treatment from his specialist in Newcastle.

http://www.thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk/news/4701533.Dad_battles_deadly_tick_bite_illness_after_Lake_District_trip/

Jul 5 2009 by Vicky Robson, Sunday Sun

A TOP North doctor has warned that the region could be sitting on a ticking timebomb after new figures revealed a rise in the cases of a potentially fatal disease.

Rheumatoid consultant Dr Terence Daymond is urging people to become aware of the viral illness in order to prevent the number of cases in the UK from spiralling.

The private practitioner, at The Nuffield Hospital, in Jesmond, Newcastle, claims that the figures released by The Health Protection Agency (HPA) may only be “the tip of the iceberg”.

Lyme Disease, which can be fatal if left untreated, is caused by a bacteria that is transmitted to humans when they are bitten by an infected tick.

Dr Daymond said: “Not only are there new patients being diagnosed, but the ones that have already been diagnosed are now realising that they were bitten by a tick in the past.

“The two main things are that the number of cases being reported in the country are rising, and ticks are no longer dying off during the winter months due to climate change and warmer weather.

“So at this time of year, especially with the summer holidays coming up, people need to be made aware of the risks of going into the countryside and being bitten by a tick.”

Since 2003 the number of laboratory-confirmed cases in England and Wales have been rising, with 815 cases recorded by the HPA last year - according to statistics released last month based on the cases that were reported to the organisation.

That includes almost 30 in the region last year.

But Dr Daymond claims the figure does not include patients who have been privately diagnosed.

“The tests that are being done in this country are not always sensitive enough to pick it up and we have to be clinically aware of that.

“If it is not treated then there can be severe symptoms and complications. I don’t think enough doctors understand that,” he said.

Lyme Disease sufferer Ellie Marshall, of Hexham, in Northumberland, went to see a private specialist out of desperation, claiming her own GP refused to believe she had the disease.

In 2002, the 48-year-old started suffering from a catalogue of horrendous symptoms, including excruciating chest pains, palpitations, dizziness, extreme fatigue and severe headaches.

But it was only at the beginning of last year that Ellie was finally diagnosed with Lyme Disease after a private specialist ran a blood test.

The mum-of-two said: “I remember having a bite on my arm and I thought nothing of it until a few weeks later when I started to feel really weird. But I didn’t know anything about Lyme Disease back then.”

Dr Sue O’Connell, consultant medical microbiologist at the HPA, said: “It has been estimated that the likely number of infections in UK patients could be between 2000 and 3000 cases per year, because some patients with the characteristic erythema migrans rash are treated without having laboratory tests performed.”

For more information on Lyme Disease visit www.hpa.org.uk/infections or www.bada-uk.org

What to watch for

LYME Disease is a bacterial infection caused from the bite of an infected tick.

Symptoms may appear between two and 30 days after the bite and include:

Feeling unwell with “flu-like” symptoms, extreme fatigue, muscle or joint pain, stiff neck, headaches and disturbances of sight, hearing, digestive system or sleep.

A “Bullseye” rash. If you get a rash take a photograph of it for a record.

It can be treated with antibiotics.

But the disease can become chronic and affect the nervous system – especially in children – and can result in facial palsy and bring on severe arthritis of the major joints.

It can also affect the heart, liver and spleen and even lead to encephalitis – inflammation of the brain.

How to beat the illness

TO minimise the risk of being bitten by an infected tick the Health Protection Agency advises people to:

Keep to paths and away from long grass or overgrown vegetation.

Wear suitable clothing in tick-infested areas, such as long-sleeved shirts and trousers tucked into socks.

Consider using a DEET-containing insect repellent.

Inspect skin frequently and remove any attached ticks.

Make sure that children’s head and neck areas, including scalps, are properly checked.

Check that ticks are not brought home on clothes and check that pets do not bring ticks into the home on their fur.

http://www.sundaysun.co.uk/news/north-east-news/2009/07/05/top-north-doc-warns-of-viral-illness-increase-79310-24075858/3/

devon.editorial@archant.co.uk
11 November 2008

EAST Devon MP Hugo Swire has raised awareness of Lyme disease in the House of Commons in a bid to highlight the condition.

Mr Swire championed the cause because of a constituent from Sidmouth who suffers from the disease.

The seminar entitled ‘Evidence for change’ was inspired by Mrs Stella Huyshe-Shires, who contracted the disease in 1999 but was not diagnosed until 2002 and then only because she insisted on a blood test and a referral to a neurologist.

Hugo Swire MP said: “Lyme disease is like an alien - the bacteria tries to take over your body. It is very serious and can make you permanently disabled. We need to be more aware of its dangers and more open to its diagnosis and more determined in its treatment.

“No vaccine against Lyme disease is currently available, so tick awareness, appropriate clothing in tick infested areas, and early removal of attached ticks remain the most important prevention measures.

“Patients say that the range of their symptoms is not recognised and that despite continuing symptoms some are denied antibiotic treatment beyond a 28 day course because of the use of these guidelines. This is clearly unacceptable.

“We need to raise awareness of this disease and clinicians need to better co-ordinate diagnosis and treatment as all were agreed that early treatment is vital.

“The United Kingdom should immediately develop its own guidelines rather than continue to rely on The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease.”

Lyme borreliosis is an infection caused by spiral-shaped bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi, which is carried by some types of ticks which live on sheep, deer, badgers and other warmblooded animals in forested, heathland and moorland areas.

Infected ticks can transmit the organisms during blood feeds, when they may be attached to the skin for several days if left undisturbed.

The most common problem associated with the infection is a rash spreading from the site of a tick bite, but other more serious problems can occur. These include a viral-like meningitis, facial palsy, other nerve damage or arthritis.

http://www.exmouthherald.co.uk/exmouthherald/news/story.aspx?brand=EXJOnline&category=news&tBrand=devon24&tCategory=newsexh&itemid=DEED11%20Nov%202008%2013%3A05%3A16%3A570

Apr 27 2008 by Sarah Robertson, Sunday Sun

A WOMAN who suffered “six years of hell” after medics failed to correctly diagnose her symptoms as Lyme disease is trying to raise awareness of the illness in the North.

Ellie Marshall, 47, said doctors don’t know enough about the debilitating blood disease that can cause paralysis, blindness and even death.

The mother-of-two swapped GPs in a bid to find out what was causing her astonishing list of symptoms, and saw various consultants, who performed a hysterectomy in a bid to cure her mystery illness.

Another doctor suggested she visit a psychiatrist.

But it was only at the beginning of this year that Ellie, from Hexham, Northumberland, discovered that she was suffering from Lyme disease, which is carried by ticks.

Tick numbers have increased massively due to recent mild winters, and infection numbers have risen to 768 a year.

She said: “I would hate to see others go through what I did. I was placed on anti-depressants and had to have a hysterectomy.”

Her catalogue of symptoms began in October 2002.

She said: “I first started getting chest pains during dinner one night.

“They were so bad I thought I was having a heart attack. It felt like I was in a bubble and couldn’t get enough air.

“My body kept going cold and I felt weak and dizzy. It was so horrible I thought I was dying. In the shower I would scream because the headaches were so bad and, when I woke up in the morning, there would be a tingling feeling everywhere.”

Ellie went to her GP, who suggested she see a heart specialist. She was diagnosed with a heart murmur and given medicine to stop heart palpitations, but her symptoms didn’t go away.

She said: “Doctors thought it was in my mind. One suggested it could be a trapped nerve.”

Ellie saw a discussion on Lyme disease on the ITV show This Morning and instantly realised her symptoms matched up.

She said: “One of the symptoms I had shown my doctor was an insect bite on my arm, but they just dismissed it.

“I managed to track down a Lyme disease specialist and, when he told me I had the disease, I cried with relief.

“I’m taking drugs to get rid of the parasite from my body but it will take some time.”

Many people who have been bitten years ago carry the antibodies but don’t show any symptoms. But the full-blown disease can later be triggered by another illness.

Symptoms include stiffness of the joints and a red rash that spreads out from the bite area. If left unchecked it can affect the nervous system — especially in children — and can result in facial palsy and bring on severe arthritis of the major joints.

It can also affect the heart, liver and spleen and even lead to encephalitis, which is inflammation of the brain.
http://www.sundaysun.co.uk/news/north-east-news/2008/04/27/lyme-disease-mission-79310-20827701/

Medical News Today - Article Date: 22 Oct 2008 - 9:00 PDT

 Viral Genetics, Inc. (OTC:VRAL), a biotechnology company that discovers and develops immune-based therapies, today unveiled to the general public initial findings of its ongoing Lyme Disease study. Viral Genetics initially unveiled its new model and early findings on Saturday, October 18th, at the 2008 International Lyme & Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) Scientific Session. The study, which was financed by a grant specifically allocated for Lyme Disease research, could also potentially offer answers to other immune-based diseases including HIV/AIDS. The team hopes the study will settle the longstanding and controversial debate in the medical community over methods of treatment.

Lyme Disease, Challenges & The Debate

Lyme Disease, the most frequent tick-borne disease in the U.S. and Europe, is caused by bacteria called Borrelia. The disease can have dramatically different outcomes in different people. Symptoms range from debilitating disease to no symptoms at all.

Testing is a challenge because symptoms vary and often mimic flu-like symptoms. The bite may not immediately result in antibody production so early negative diagnosis is an issue. The organism is also difficult to culture and slow growing to further complicate detection.

“If infection is detected very early, a round of antibiotics sometimes is enough for some people. In other cases, even with antibiotics, the disease becomes chronic and includes symptoms like arthritis, heart disease, and harm to the nervous system,” said Dr. M. Karen Newell, Ph.D., lead investigator of the study and a professor at the University of Colorado.

Given the vast differences from one patient to another, there is a longstanding debate in the medical community over treatment of Lyme Disease. Some researchers contend Lyme is driven by chronic infection and recommend patients be treated with antibiotics for the long term. Others support the hypothesis that Lyme Disease is a result of autoimmune T cell activation, which occurs subsequent to the initial infection or after the infection has cleared.

“We hope to reconcile this debate, as our model accounts for both the initial disease and the consequent processes that appear similar to autoimmune disease,” said Newell.

Mechanism Of Action

With a commitment to discovering and developing immune-based therapies for HIV and AIDS using its thymus nuclear protein compound (TNP), Viral Genetics’ new model was initially proposed solely for HIV/AIDS. However, by unraveling the mechanism of TNP, Dr. Newell identified its potential promise in other diseases including Lyme.

“Our primary focus is on research and development of new therapies for HIV/AIDS. While we’ve shown consistently that Dr. Newell’s model could potentially serve as a mechanism of action in our HIV/AIDS research and our human trials, up until now, there has not been an animal test model available in HIV/AIDS. Once Dr. Newell identified TNP’s potential in Lyme Disease, where an animal testing model was readily available, we have now clearly shown, for the first time, TNP’s potential for the study of other immune-based diseases,” said Haig Keledjian, co-founder and CEO, Viral Genetics, Inc.

Setting The Stage

The study team attributes the vast differences in people’s response to Lyme Disease to the unique genetic make-up of each individual. The research model developed suggests that a person’s immune response to Borrelia may determine the outcome of the disease.

“To identify the genetic contribution, early studies employed mouse models because there are highly inbred strains that differ only by very well characterized genetic features,” said Newell.

Given each stage of Lyme Disease is characterized by profound inflammation (the “blunt force” of the immune response), the team contends the absence of inflammation is worse. For example, mice with no inflammatory response do not appear as sick, but cannot control infection as quickly as those with intact inflammatory responses.

“In contrast, the response in some mice, which have the appropriate Borrelia TLR 2 and TLR 4, the inflammatory response is sufficient to fight off infection,” added Newell.

The “gate-keepers” of the inflammatory response are the Toll Ligand Receptors (TLR). Bacteria produce Toll ligands that, by binding to the TLR, initiate the inflammatory response. Once that response is triggered, the symptoms for early stages of Lyme Disease are initiated.

In formulating its model, the study team posed the question, what if bacteria get past the gate-keeper and hide out in various tissues, invisible to the immune system? They then asked, what if bacteria find a new disguise, come out of hiding, and the process starts all over again?

Viral Genetics is aimed at finding a key to the gate that unlocks the hiding places without the ‘blunt force’ of the TLR. In other words, the team is now focusing less on the gate-keeper and more on a specific response. In their study model, the key is called a “targeted peptide.”

“Just like a key for each door may be different, the study team contends the ‘targeted peptide’ for each person may depend on their immune traits, and therefore, will dictate how the disease manifests itself,” said Newell.

Summary of Key Findings

Early Lyme Disease research has resulted in three significant findings. First, the study team has identified and synthesized “key” peptides that are predicted to have high binding affinity to an individual’s immune cells based on the genetic traits of their immune system. Secondly, the team has tested the newly identified peptides in mouse models in which the immunological genes are very well characterized. Lastly, the team has shown that the “targeted, computationally predicted peptides” significantly reduce the number and “activation state” of the cells responding to Borrelia proteins.

“In summary, we have seen a dramatic reduction in the number of non-specifically ‘activated’ cells–likely as a result of reducing the inflammation in response to inflammatory Borrelia protein. Our early findings are promising and potentially could unlock the mysteries of Lyme Disease as well as other immune-based diseases including HIV/AIDS. We look forward to moving into the clinical phase of research,” added Newell.

About Viral Genetics

Viral Genetics, Inc. is a biotechnology company that discovers and develops immune-based therapies for HIV and AIDS using its thymus nuclear protein compound (TNP). The company recently entered into an Exclusive License Agreement with the University of Colorado and V-Clip Pharmaceuticals (a subsidiary of the Company) to license technology developed by M. Karen Newell, PhD that appears to explain TNP and provide a means to optimize therapies based on TNP for future clinical trials. TNP may have other potential applications for other infectious, autoimmune, and immunological deficiency diseases that the company intends to study in the future. Viral Genetics believes that its investigational HIV/AIDS drug based on TNP, called VGV-1, represents a unique approach to treating HIV due to the apparently novel mechanism, low toxicity profile, simple dosing regimen, and short-course of treatment. As a type of immune-based therapy, it focuses on boosting the immune system to allow the body to fight HIV more efficiently. VGV-1 has been studied in five human clinical trials for the treatment of HIV/AIDS. Online at http://www.viralgenetics.com

This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties associated with financial projections, budgets, milestone timelines, clinical development, regulatory approvals, and other risks described by Viral Genetics, Inc. from time to time in its periodic reports filed with the SEC. VGV-1 is not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration or by any comparable regulatory agencies elsewhere in the world. While Viral Genetics believes that the forward-looking statements and underlying assumptions contained therein are reasonable, any of the assumptions could be inaccurate, including, but not limited to, the ability of Viral Genetics to establish the efficacy of VGV-1 in the treatment of any disease or health condition, the development of studies and strategies leading to commercialization of VGV-1 in the United States, the obtaining of funding required to carry out the development plan, the completion of studies and tests on time or at all, and the successful outcome of such studies or tests. Therefore, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statements included in this release will prove to be accurate. In light of the significant uncertainties inherent in the forward-looking statements included herein, the forward-looking statements should not be regarded as a representation by Viral Genetics or any other person that the objectives and plans of Viral Genetics will be achieved.

Source
Haig Keledjian

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/126436.php

Medical News Today : Article Date: 21 Oct 2008 - 2:00 PDT

Fritz et al. have identified an amino acid switch that flaviviruses flip to gain access to cells.

Flaviviruses such as tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), yellow fever, and dengue are dangerous human pathogens. These membrane-encircled viruses enter cells by being gobbled up into endosomes and fusing their membrane with that of the endosome.

Fusion is triggered by the endosome’s acidic environment. Low pH prompts the aptly named fusion protein, on the virus’s outer membrane, to change shape and grab hold of the endosome membrane, bringing the two membranes together. In their search for possible pH sensors, researchers have focused on five highly conserved histidine residues in the flavivirus fusion protein. The chemical properties of histidines make them prime candidates - they switch from uncharged to having a double positive charge upon acidification of their environment, such as that in endosomes.

Fritz et al. replaced each of the five histidines of the TBEV fusion protein with alternative residues and observed the virus’s fusion ability. Given the conservation of the five histidines, the team was surprised, that mutation of one of the histidines, His323, was sufficient to completely abolish fusion. Individual mutation of three of the others had no effect on fusion whatsoever, and mutation of the fourth led to an untestable ill-formed fusion protein.

The team went on to show that mutation of the crucial His323 interfered with the pH-induced shape change of the fusion protein. 
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/126148.php

Laura Mueller has been coming to Nantucket for over 40 years. She comes for the beauty of the island. She once enjoyed walking the many nature trails that crisscross the land and gardening in her yard on Flintlock Road. Yet, the activities which gave her joy, almost led to her death.

Last year Mueller came within minutes of dying from a ruptured spleen that was the result of a babesia infection caused from a tick bite. She has since curtailed her outdoor activities.One more tick bite could kill her.Mueller went to Nantucket Cottage Hospital one day last summer because she was feeling exhausted. She was examined by doctors there and sent to Cape Cod Hospital for more testing, but because she did not exhibit symptoms of babesiosis, she was not tested.

A few months went by and while she was still tired, Mueller did not feel any different.

 ”At 72 years old, sometimes you just feel tired, so I didn’t think much of it,” said Mueller.

Then one day, Mueller had a terrible pain in her side and went back to Nantucket Cottage Hospital. This time, she was tested for babesiosis.

“The doctor came in and said, ‘You won’t believe this, you have babesiosis,’” said Mueller. “They put me on medication and sent me home.” Less than three days later, Mueller collapsed and came within minutes of dying.

“We called 911 and they brought me to the hospital where Dr. Lepore examined me and said my spleen had ruptured,” said Mueller. “They were going to fly me to Boston to try and save my spleen, but after looking at me more, Dr. Lepore decided there was no time and he took it out.”

Babesiosis damaged many of Mueller’s red blood cells and her spleen ruptured while trying to repair them. She was bleeding internally and was near death.

Mueller’s story would be tragic enough if she were the only person afflicted on Nantucket with a tick-borne disease, but that is hardly the case.

This year alone, 338 confirmed cases of tick-borne diseases have been diagnosed at Nantucket Cottage Hospital, a sharp rise from last year’s totals, which saw 275 people diagnosed with babesiosis, Lyme disease or ehrlichiosis.

To address the problem, Health Inspector Richard Ray, in conjunction with the Board of Selectmen, will hold a series of public hearings to see how the town should deal with the problem.

The first meeting is scheduled for Thursday, October 9 at 6 p.m. in the high school cafeteria.

The meeting will center on the concerns of summer residents, who often contract the disease and return home where doctors are less familiar with the symptoms.

Historically, discussion around the island’s tick population has been linked to the island’s deer population. For Mueller, deer, which carry the diseaseridden ticks, are the problem.

“I love nature and I love animals,” said Mueller. “But I think one has to balance caring for animals and addressing a serious health problem. I was coming home this afternoon and there were three deer in the yard. I can’t go outside and garden anymore because I can’t afford to get bitten again. People need to take personal responsibility and protect themselves, but I would not be disappointed if all the deer left the island.”

http://www.nantucketindependent.com/news/2008/1001/other_news/020.html

Oct 11 2008 by David Powell, Daily Post

A FAMILY have spoken of their horror after their daughter caught a rare and potentially life threatening disease from a tick bite.

It is thought Sasha Hughes, eight, was bitten by a tick in a field of sheep, which infected her with Lyme disease.

Sasha was rushed to Ysbyty Gwynedd after she developed a rash, with symptoms similar to meningitis, she couldn’t see and her face became stiff, or “palsy”.

Her parents spent a frantic week at her bedside in the Bangor hospital, after doctors revealed the disease had spread to a nerve in her brain.

In severe cases Lyme disease can cause heart failure.

Last night Sasha’s parents spoke of their relief after she was released home, to Manod near Blaenau Ffestiniog, with no long term damage.

Although she still needs antibiotics, her family say she is back on the road to making a full recovery.

The condition is only spread by ticks and can not be passed from human to human, so Sasha can have visitors and is expecting to go back to classes at Ysgol Tanygrisau soon.

Mum Vicky Hughes, 30, described the family’s trauma yesterday. She said: “I know she had a tick on her belly but we didn’t think anything of it. Her father took it off.

“Then one day we went to the Great Orme. Sasha didn’t feel well, she was really tired and couldn’t concentrate. She wasn’t herself.”

The family returned home but Sasha’s condition deteriorated.

Her mum said: “She told me ‘My eyes aren’t working’. She couldn’t close her eyes and she was palsy. We were really worried.”

Vicky contacted the NHS Direct helpline and was told to take Sasha straight to Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor. Doctors admitted her.

Vicky said: “They gave her a lumbar puncture in her back and sent a sample to a specialist in agricultural conditions. They suspected Lyme disease.”

Vicky added: “It affected a nerve in her brain. She was unlucky because the brain is only affected in a small percentage of cases.”

Sasha was discharged but her parents had to take her back to Ysbyty Gwynedd for a week to be given antibiotics by a drip for 30 minutes a day.

She can now take oral antibiotics at home and is recovering well from her ordeal.

Mum said: “She’s a lot better than she was. She still has pains in her joints. But she is naturally quiet.”

Sasha said: “I’m feeling better.”

Mum Vicky added: “We are very relieved. I want to say nobody can catch it from Sasha.”

Vicky, who works for a security company, and husband Alan, 44, a builder, have two other daughters Casey, eleven, and Enya, four.

A North West Wales NHS Trust spokesman confirmed: “We did have a recent case of Lyme disease. It is a rare condition.”

One of the most recent cases of Lyme disease in North Wales was in 2005.

Kate Bloor, 52, from Croesor, went for a walk in the woods around the village but after being bitten by an infected tick under her bosom her world was turned upside down.

She had to have intensive treatment near London for Lyme disease.

The condition is very difficult to diagnose because it doesn’t always show up in blood tests, and there’s a huge range of symptoms including flu, arthritic joints, extreme fatigue, and blurred vision.

Last year Kate’s mum Giovanna, 80, warned: “The problems really start if it isn’t diagnosed early. It was about 10 months before Kate was diagnosed.”

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/2008/10/11/bug-bite-put-me-in-hospital-55578-22011397/

Last updated at 1:30 PM on 08th October 2008

Diseases ranging from avian flu to yellow fever are likely to spread more because of climate change, the Wildlife Conservation Society warned today.

The society, based in the Bronx Zoo in the United States and which works in 60 nations, urged better monitoring of wildlife health to help give an early warning of how pathogens might spread with global warming.

It listed the ‘deadly dozen’ as avian flu, tick-borne babesia, cholera, ebola, parasites, plague, lyme disease, red tides of algal blooms, Rift Valley fever, sleeping sickness, tuberculosis and yellow fever.

‘Even minor disturbances can have far reaching consequences on what diseases [wild animals] might encounter and transmit as climate changes,’ said Steven Sanderson, head of the society.

‘The term “climate change” conjures images of melting ice caps and rising sea levels that threaten coastal cities and nations, but just as important is how increasing temperatures and fluctuating precipitation levels will change the distribution of dangerous pathogens,” he said.

‘Monitoring wildlife health will help us predict where those trouble spots will occur and plan how to prepare,’ he said in a statement.

The U.N. Climate Panel says that greenhouse gas emissions, mainly from human use of fossil fuels, are raising temperatures and will disrupt rainfall patterns and have impacts ranging from heatwaves to melting glaciers.

‘For thousands of years people have known of a relationship between health and climate,’ William Karesh of the society told a news conference in Barcelona to launch the report at an International Union for Conservation of Nature congress.

Among phrases, people said they were ‘under the weather’ when ill, he noted.

He said that the report was not an exhaustive list but an illustration of the range of infectious diseases that may threaten humans and animals.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1073409/Climate-change-spreading-deadly-dozen-diseases-experts-warn.html?ITO=1490

Experts are warning that Lyme disease, which is spread by ticks and tick bites, is an emerging health problem in Wales, particularly in areas such as Snowdonia. There were 800 cases of Lyme disease recorded in Wales last year, but it is believed up to 2,000 people have visited their doctor with symptoms.

The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) is now calling on the government to make Lyme disease a notifiable disease. It said that treating the disease, which can cause symptoms from a rash to blindness and paralysis, is often complicated by the fact that it can be misdiagnosed and is under-reported.

Julie Barratt, director of the CIEH in Wales, said: “Lyme disease is an emerging public health problem, and one that is of considerable significance in Wales in areas such as the Snowdonia National Park. It is important that the walkers take steps to protect themselves and that GPs are aware of the problem and recognise what they are seeing if affected persons present themselves.

“This is very much a case of prevention being better than cure – walkers should cover up to prevent the risk of bites, and should they be bitten, look for the typical ‘bullseye’ rash. They should also tell their GP that they have been walking if they begin to suffer typical symptoms so that treatment can be properly targeted.”

Lyme disease – also known as Lyme borreliosis – can cause various symptoms, the most common of which is a rash called erythema migrans. Humans become infected after being bitten by tiny hard-bodied ticks, which are infected with B. burgdorferi.

Ticks become infected when they feed on birds or animals that carry the organism in their blood.

It is the most common arthropod-transmitted infectious disease in northern Europe and the US – it was named after a cluster of cases in Old Lyme, Connecticut, in 1974.

It can lead to a condition known as neuro borrelia in 15% of people bitten by infected ticks. In rare cases the disease may become chronic, with a slowly developing destruction of the nervous system, numbing, partial hearing impairment and the development of dementia.

Dr Robert Smith, a scientist at the National Public Health Service (NPHS) for Wales, said: “Since 2003, the number of people being infected has increased year on year. We have also seen a significant rise in infections known or believed to have been acquired overseas – in the US, France, Germany, Austria, Scandinavia, and eastern Europe. Ticks are very small – about the size of a poppy seed – and can easily be overlooked, so it is important to be aware of the risk of tick bite. Check for attached ticks regularly and remove them promptly. Infected ticks are very unlikely to transmit the organism if they are removed within 24 hours of attachment.”

Graham Jukes, chief executive of the CIEH, said: “We strongly urge the government to take greater responsibility for pest management and to raise the profile of diseases such as Lyme disease.

“Lyme disease in this country is spreading and the number of cases is rising significantly. This is a misunderstood disease that can cause untold misery to its victims. We urge the government to make this a notifiable disease.”

But an NPHS spokesman said it has an accurate picture of Lyme disease in Wales, and making it notifiable is unlikely to provide any new information.

How to reduce the risk of being bitten by a tick

Wear appropriate clothing in tick-infested areas – long sleeved shirt and long trousers tucked into socks. Light coloured fabrics are useful, as it is easier to see ticks against a light background.

Check that ticks are not brought home on clothes.

Consider using insect repellents, such as those which contain DEET.

Inspect skin frequently and remove any attached ticks. At the end of the day, check again for ticks, especially in skin folds.

Make sure that children’s head and neck areas, including scalps, are properly checked.

Check that pets do not bring unfed ticks into the home on their fur.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2008/07/14/lyme-disease-warning-to-walkers-91466-21334558/