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New Report Indicates Lyme Disease May Infect 300,000 Each Year

EMSL Analytical provides environmental testing services to identify Borrelia burgdorferi, the cause of Lyme disease.


WEBWIRE

Cinnaminson, NJ, September 26, 2013

Last month, NBC News reported that more than 300,000 Americans may get Lyme disease each year.  This number is dramatically higher than previous figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that in 2010 more than 22,000 confirmed cases and 7,500 probable cases of Lyme disease were reported to the agency.

According to the article, Dr. Paul Mead, Chief of Epidemiology and Surveillance for CDC’s Lyme disease program, stated, “This new preliminary estimate confirms that Lyme disease is a tremendous public health problem in the United States, and clearly highlights the urgent need for prevention.”

Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected ticks. Typical symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans (EM). If left untreated, the infection can spread to joints, the heart and the nervous system.

There are other diseases transmitted by ticks, but Lyme disease is the most commonly reported tick-borne disease. Most cases are reported in Northeast and Midwest, although all 50 states have had cases. The CDC reports that in 2012, 95% of Lyme disease cases occurred in the following 13 states:

  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Minnesota
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • New York
  • Pennsylvania
  • Vermont
  • Virginia
  • Wisconsin


One company that has been at the forefront of providing testing to identify Borrelia burgdorferi from environmental samples is EMSL Analytical, Inc. “These new numbers suggest that 10 times as many people are becoming infected each year as previously thought,” reported Joe Frasca, Senior Vice President, Marketing at EMSL Analytical, Inc.  “At EMSL, we test ticks to see if they carry the pathogen that causes Lyme disease utilizing Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR).  It is a quick and highly accurate method to identify Borrelia burgdorferi.

To help educate people about tick-borne pathogens, EMSL recently launched www.TickTestingLab.com. EMSL has also released an online video about tick-borne diseases and pathogens that can be seen at:

http://youtu.be/teOGxDB9SCM

To learn more about Borrelia burgdorferi and other tick-borne pathogens and testing services, please visit the new website or www.EMSL.com, call (800) 220-3675 or email info@EMSL.com .

About EMSL Analytical, Inc.
EMSL Analytical is a nationally recognized and locally focused provider of environmental, indoor air quality, consumer product and materials testing services and products for professionals and the general public. The company has an extensive list of accreditations from leading organizations as well as state and federal regulating bodies.



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