No Lyme in South Myth Crumbles

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Subject: [lymenet_leaders] Press Release: "No Lyme in South" Myth Crumbles

Georgia Lyme Disease Association Press Releaseý"Lyme disease doesn't exist in the South" myth further crumbles as scientists report their findings that more Lyme borrelia species exist in the Southeastern U.S. than in other regions and confirm the presence of infectious strains. The new suspect pathogen Lyme species B. kurtenbachii is also widely distributed here. Czech scientists Rudenko, Golovchenko, Grubhoffer and our own Dr. H. Oliver, Jr. of Georgia Southern's IAP presented posters at the 2011 Ticks and Tick-borne Pathogens International Conference in Spain. Read our full report and see the poster presentations here:http://www.georgialymedisease.org/ga_lyme_newsThis is very important, because for years the Lyme species B. burgdorferi sensu stricto has been the only one recognized to cause disease in North America. Now researchers seem to be linking B. bissettii and/or B. kurtenbachii to human disease. This may be one reason why many people test negative or not "CDC positive".Liz SchmitzGeorgia Lyme Disease Association