Pesky ticks on the march
That means we have to get interested in Lyme disease all over again. So let’s get the bad news out of the way first. The number of cases has been increasing drastically and the infections are getting more virulent. Because more people are building their houses out in the countryside where there are deer and other animals that carry the ticks. Now add in climate change. It’s influencing tick feeding behavior. The result is a surge in the number of serious cases of infection. The good news is that Doxy continues to be a steady performer. You pop the pills for two to four weeks, and the infection clears up. So this year, more people are getting the chance to see this antibiotic at work. But over the next two years, there likely to be a change. The Center for Disease Control has begun development of a slow release version of Doxycycline-like drug. This may be by injection or by patch for those who are needle-shy. Final aim is to replace therapy by the single procedure. Until this comes out of the lab, you’ll just have to pop the tablets, but life may soon improve.