from "Little Tick, Big Trouble: The Lyme Disease Epidemic"
by Carol Ann Moorhead
1 Nature, though usually my best friend, has sometimes been my nemesis: While backpacking in Africa, I had a heart-stopping stare-down with an angry lion. In Alaska, I was charged by a protective mother moose. In Yellowstone, I anxiously jingled bear bells while working in grizzly habitat. And while hiking in tame old Massachusetts, I was struck by lightning! So, the last force of nature I ever expected to bring me down was a tick the size of a sesame seed.
2 It was the summer of 2008. My husband, two young children, and I had temporarily moved to the Colorado Rockies. During the days, I "tried" to write and take care of our kids. But I couldn't seem to do anything but sit and sleep.
3 "It's the altitude," I kept telling my family. "I haven't adjusted yet." But secretly I wondered. I'd lived in the Rockies before, and I'd always acclimated quickly to the thin air. Weeks went by and instead of taking my kids backpacking or even hiking, I opted for lazy days by the river. No complaints there, except that I felt sluggish, disappointed, and definitely not myself.
4 Soon, I started having bouts of extreme fatigue. I called them "tsunamis" because when they hit, staying vertical was not an option. I'd crash on the couch or bed and sleep for an hour before I'd awaken, not exactly rested, but at least able to stand again.
5 My husband insisted I see a doctor, but since we were near the end of our stay I opted to wait until we returned home. On the long drive back to California, a joint on my left hand began to swell and throb and my right knee began to ache. By then I knew something was wrong with my body.
Dog-gone Tick!
6 Six months earlier, in March, my family and I had gone to an animal shelter near our home in California. There, we found a three-month old fluffy black pup. During our first days with "Cody" we discovered several ticks on him, either attached or ambling across his coat. Having picked ticks off many dogs, I thought nothing of it. I wasn't even alarmed when a few days later I found a tick imbedded in my upper thigh. But when its head didn't come out and the spot around it stayed inflamed, I went to see my doctor. She removed the head, and mentioning the possibility of Lyme disease, put me on a 10-day course of antibiotics. I knew very little about Lyme, but I took the medicine and afterward, put the tick bite out of my mind.
7 Six months later, I was back in my doctor's office explaining my symptoms of joint pain and fatigue. After blood work and laboratory tests, her diagnosis was confirmed: I had Lyme disease. Despite the short course of antibiotics following the tick bite, the Lyme had survived and multiplied inside my body.
What Exactly is Lyme?
8 Lyme disease is an infection caused by a microscopic parasite, a type of bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferi. B. burgdorferi (for short) is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected ticks. Though rarely fatal, Lyme can cause symptoms as debilitating as those experienced by people with chronic heart disease and multiple sclerosis (MS). Many Lyme patients experience joint and muscle pain and extreme fatigue, as I did. Others, if the bacteria get into their central nervous system, may face short-term memory loss, speech problems, anxiety attacks, and many other symptoms. Doctors refer to Lyme as "The Great Imitator" because its symptoms can mimic a broad spectrum of illnesses.
9 Fortunately, if Lyme expresses itself early with its diagnostic bull's-eye skin rash, a month-long course of antibiotics is often enough to stop the infection. Unfortunately, many sufferers never develop bull's-eye rashes, or are prescribed an inadequate duration of antibiotics. In these cases, the symptoms progress slowly, making the disease harder to diagnose and treat.
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Lyme "Hot Spots"
10 Though cases of Lyme disease have been diagnosed in every state in the United States, it's not certain that all cases originated in the states in which they were diagnosed. What is certain is that there are three hot spots of Lyme disease in the nation: the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic States, the Upper Midwest, and Northern California. These humid hot spots support high numbers of Ixodes ticks, abundant populations of small mammals that host B. burgdorferi, burgeoning deer herds, fields and forests, and wooded backyards where people come in contact with ticks.
11 The best way to avoid contracting Lyme disease is to avoid getting bitten by a tick. If you live in a Lyme hot spot, it is especially important that you wear tick repellant and appropriate clothing when hiking, or even playing in backyard bushes and gardens. If you find a tick on you, it's critical that it's removed promptly but also properly. The last thing you want to do is squeeze Lyme bacteria into the bite. Once the tick is removed, remember to save it in a plastic bag, and take it to your local public health office. There it can be tested for Lyme disease.
A Growing Epidemic
12 "I think Lyme disease is truly spreading, not just the awareness of it," says Dr. Geordie Thomson, noting the increased incidence of Lyme cases down the East Coast. Dr. Thomson, a family medical doctor in Peterborough, New Hampshire, also notes that he has seen a dramatic jump in the number of Lyme patients within his own practice since 2003.
13 Dr. Stricker agrees that Lyme disease is a growing epidemic. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have reported a steady rise in new cases each year, up to 30,000 in 2009, but Dr. Stricker says "the actual number could be, at the very least, ten times what the CDC reports."
What is the author’s main purpose for writing the article?
Responses
to instruct readers about what to do if they are bitten by a tick
to instruct readers about what to do if they are bitten by a tick
to persuade readers to avoid spending time in areas known to have ticks
to persuade readers to avoid spending time in areas known to have ticks
to argue that her experience of Lyme disease was unusual
to argue that her experience of Lyme disease was unusual
to inform readers about the causes and effects of Lyme disease
to inform readers about the causes and effects of Lyme disease
Question 2
Part B
Which two pieces of evidence from the article best support the answer to Part A?
Responses
"But I couldn’t seem to do anything but sit and sleep." (paragraph 2)
"But I couldn’t seem to do anything but sit and sleep." (paragraph 2)
"I knew very little about Lyme, but I took the medicine and afterward, put the tick bite out of my mind.” (paragraph 6)
"I knew very little about Lyme, but I took the medicine and afterward, put the tick bite out of my mind.” (paragraph 6)
"Though rarely fatal, Lyme can cause symptoms as debilitating as those experienced by people with chronic heart disease and multiple sclerosis (MS)." (paragraph 8)
"Though rarely fatal, Lyme can cause symptoms as debilitating as those experienced by people with chronic heart disease and multiple sclerosis (MS)." (paragraph 8)
"Unfortunately, many sufferers never develop bull's-eye rashes, or are prescribed an inadequate duration of antibiotics." (paragraph 9)
"Unfortunately, many sufferers never develop bull's-eye rashes, or are prescribed an inadequate duration of antibiotics." (paragraph 9)
"These humid hot spots support high numbers of Ixodes ticks, abundant populations of small mammals that host B. burgdorferi…" (paragraph 10)
"These humid hot spots support high numbers of Ixodes ticks, abundant populations of small mammals that host B. burgdorferi…" (paragraph 10)
"Once the tick is removed, remember to save it in a plastic bag, and take it to your local public health office." (paragraph 11)
"Once the tick is removed, remember to save it in a plastic bag, and take it to your local public health office." (paragraph 11)
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1 answer
Question 1Part A
What is the author’s main purpose for writing the article?
The correct response is: to inform readers about the causes and effects of Lyme disease
Question 2Part B
Which two pieces of evidence from the article best support the answer to Part A?
The correct responses are:
"Though rarely fatal, Lyme can cause symptoms as debilitating as those experienced by people with chronic heart disease and multiple sclerosis (MS)." (paragraph 8)
"Unfortunately, many sufferers never develop bull's-eye rashes, or are prescribed an inadequate duration of antibiotics." (paragraph 9)
1 answer