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March 20, 2002

U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"The Not-So-Telltale Sign of Lyme Disease"

New York Times (www.nytimes.com) (03/19/02) P. F7; O'Neill, John

A new study, published in the current issue of The Annals of Internal Medicine, revises the old "bull's-eye" or textbook version of the first symptom of Lyme disease, explaining that the rash can really take on different appearances.  Dr. Robert P. Smith of the Maine Medical Center in Portland said that at the first sign of a quick growing red rash, whether oval or circular, the patient should be seen immediately by a physician, especially if a fever, headache or any other flu-like symptoms are present as well.  He said that too many doctors were overlooking Lyme disease in many cases, because the rash did not always exhibit in the standard bull's-eye (pale center surrounded by redness.) Smith and his team analyzed data collected from 11,000 volunteers during the pre-approval clinical trials of a Lyme disease vaccine called LYMErix.  Over 100 cases of confirmed Lyme disease were diagnosed and treated early during that time because trial participants were encouraged to seek medical attention at the first signs of any possible Lyme symptoms.

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