Tennessee Online Lyme Support is a virtual meeting place and source for information and emotional support for people with Lyme and other tick-borne diseases living in Tennessee.

Tennessee ticks may carry several diseases. One bite may give you more than one disease, including Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, bartonella, viral encephalitis, and Lyme disease. There were 18 reported cases of Lyme disease in Tennessee in 2005, 137 cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and 24 cases of ehrlichiosis. Reported cases reflect the “tip of the iceberg,” or only a fraction of the true cases. Official state figures may reflect as few as one in 40 true cases.

The CDC has determined that the South does not have Lyme but a Lyme-like illness they call “Masters’ Disease” (after Ed Masters, MD of Missouri) or STARI (Southern Tick-borne Associated Rash Illness). To date, no one has been able to culture the organism or prove any difference between Lyme and Master’s disease. Dr. Masters says, “Lyme-like illness deserves Lyme-like treatment.”

Lyme (or Lyme-like) disease is under-diagnosed, under-treated, and under-reported. Many people do not remember being bitten by the poppy-seed-sized tick. Doctors often prefer more familiar diagnoses like chronic fatigue, MS, or even mental illness - all Lyme disease mimics. Too strict interpretation of insensitive tests leaves many people in a diagnostic limbo, without proper treatment. Most cases are not reported, leading to artificially low numbers, less recognition of the true costs of the disease and less funding for research.

DISCLAIMER: All information posted on this site is the opinion of the author(s)alone and is provided for educational purposes only. It is not to be construed as medical advice regarding the treatment of any symptoms or disease. You should obtain medical advice of your personal physician before pursuing any treatment mentioned here.