Thanks for an interesting read, Susan.

I have had lyme for over a year before I found a tick literate doctor for treatment. Half of people test negative and half don't get the rash. Most doctors will toss you off to a rheumatologist or give you 2 weeks doxycycline which does nothing. So I've basically got this thing for life and have to manage it.

I've read so much on this and found all the websites and facebook pages that deal with tick illnesses. You wouldn't believe the misinfo out there, including the Center for Disease Control. This is an epidemic that is just beginning to be recognized. A task group for study has been formed, thank goodness, of experts and patients who will report to the government. Hopefully they will give this more $$ and attention than the billions spent on Zika. 300,000 people in the USA alone are diagnosed in one year with tick illnesses.

Misdiagnoses include chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, ALS, multiple Sclerosis, Parkinsons, and dementia. All these illnesses have the same symptoms as tick diseases. The tests are inadequate.

I could go on....retired teacher here, just wanting to educate about this, especially in the northeast. It's worldwide, very bad in Europe and Australia, too.

Thanks for posting this reminder that ticks don't disappear in the winter. Unfortunately they don't die off, sleep, go dormant.

And Larry Dapsis is my favourite "tick expert" ever!! He's a wonderful warm speaker at community meetings, has an inexhaustible passion for all things tick-related, knows more than anybody I've ever heard on the topic, and just loves sharing important & complicated tick 'information' with anyone & everyone. We need more like him!