Linea Directa 200 LEFT COL CAR INSURANCE

PROPERTY SEARCH

DomusVi Ciudad de Murcia residential cross content 1200

Date Published: 10/02/2023

ARCHIVED - Lyme disease spreads unchecked across Spain

ARCHIVED ARTICLE -

The infection has exploded in Spain recent years due to the prevalence of ticks

<span style='color:#780948'>ARCHIVED</span> - Lyme disease spreads unchecked across Spain

Lyme disease, an infection caused by tick bites and one with very few specialists qualified to treat it, has spread rapidly in recent years from a few isolated cases to most regions in Spain.

"Before, it was thought that this was something that only happens in the north," explained the former director of the Infectious Diseases Unit of the Parc Taulí Hospital, since the disease was mainly diagnosed in the Basque Country, La Rioja, Cantabria, Asturias and Galicia.

However, "now we see that the cases are growing in Catalonia, in Valencia and, a little less, in Andalusia, and that the disease has disappeared in Extremadura."

The prevalence of Lyme disease, he concluded, is caused by the rapidly rising tick populations in these areas and the number of infections could be higher than even the experts realise, since so many cases go undiagnosed.

Lyme disease typically manifests itself in two distinct phases: a highly infectious initial stage and a later phase with more serious symptoms.

"In the initial phase there can be fever and malaise and spots appear on the skin, so Lyme disease can be easily diagnosed", while "the affectation after weeks or months can be in the heart or brain, with arrhythmias, facial paralysis and loss of memory or sensitivity," he explained.

Some patients present chronic manifestations of Lyme while in others, the disease disappears without any treatment at all.

Cases of Lyme disease have doubled in Europe in the past 20 years and there are currently around 150 diagnosed infections in Spain, although the specialists place this number closer to 1,000 in reality.

The disease has gained notoriety in recent years after several famous faces – Ben Stiller, Richard Gere and Justin Bieber, to name a few – admitted to having been infected. The ensuing media attention has drawn attention to the woefully inadequate detection methods available, and the unreliability of the existing tests.

Lyme disease in Spain is often incorrectly diagnosed as depression, chronic fatigue or even flu, and the situation is compounded by the fact that the country is home to very few Lyme specialists trained in recognising the tricky symptoms.

Also of interest: Spain officially approves Animal Welfare Law but excludes hunting dogs

Image: Freepik

Linea Directa Bottom Article M-Z CAR INSURANCE

Sign up for the Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin and get an email with all the week’s news straight to your inbox

Special offer: Subscribe now for 25% off (36.95 euros for 48 Bulletins)