NEPA Vital Signs - Winter Spring 2018 - 12

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Feature

Dr. Darlene Dunay, D.O., a family practice physician in Old Forge,
administers a vaccination to patient Nymali Verkitus.

Lyme, AIDS, and other infectious
diseases without vaccines...

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?

MALLPOX IS A VIRAL DISEASE that
leaves survivors with numerous
permanent scars on their faces and
bodies. Measles is a highly contagious virus
that kills nearly 25% of infected children
in developing countries. Polio is an incurable infection that can lead to irreversible
paralysis and death. Rubella infection in a
pregnant woman can cause serious birth
defects in her developing baby. Each of
these diseases, however, have something
special in common: The infections and their
severe complications can all be prevented
with vaccines. Unfortunately, as illustrated
by the examples below, there are still many
diseases for which vaccines are not yet
available, and the complications of these
diseases affect millions of people to this day.

infected Ixodes tick, more popularly known
as a "deer tick." Lyme disease is especially
important to residents of Northeastern
Pennsylvania because infected ticks are
commonly encountered in our region and
are extremely small, so many bites are likely
to go unnoticed. The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) reported
nearly 9,000 confirmed cases of Lyme disease in Pennsylvania in 2016 alone.

The first sign of infection is typically a
characteristic target-shaped rash that appears
approximately two weeks after the tick bite.
Early in the course of the infection, many people experience fatigue, headache, and muscle
and joint pains. As the disease spreads, it
can be accompanied by a number of more
severe symptoms including arthritis and
joint damage, neurologic complications such
as facial paralysis, damage to heart muscle,
Lyme disease is caused by infection with and eventual brain injury. Lyme disease can
the bacteria known as Borrelia burgdorferi. be treated with antibiotics, however, some
This infection is spread by the bite of an patients continue to experience symptoms

Lyme Disease

N E PA

VITAL SIGNS

of pain, fatigue, and even problems with
memory and thinking following treatment.
Interestingly, a once-available, FDA-approved Lyme disease vaccine was discontinued
in 2002 with the pharmaceutical manufacturer citing poor sales. With more than
300,000 cases diagnosed each year in the U.S.
accounting for more than $1 billion per year in
medical expenses, it is clear that Lyme disease
represents a major public health concern.

HIV/AIDS

First recognized in the United States in
the early 1980s, acquired immunodeficiency
syndrome (AIDS) results from a profound
destruction of the immune system caused
by untreated infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Studies suggest
that the virus was originally transmitted
to humans from chimpanzees in the early
1900s in Africa. Today, according to the
World Health Organization (WHO), more

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NEPA Vital Signs - Winter Spring 2018

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