Loudoun Meeting

Friday, Nov. 12 by Rachel Leon | 6 comments | Email this story

Loudoun will receive state help in scratching their Lyme disease itch.

Gov. Bob McDonnell announced today that his recently-appointed statewide Lyme Disease Task Force will hold their first hearing on the issue on Nov. 30 at Patrick Henry College in Purcellville.

The hearing will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a lunch break and will take place in the college’s gym at 10 Patrick Henry Circle in Purcellville.

The task force, led by the college’s chancellor, Michael Farris, is made up of physicians, wildlife officials, veterinarians and other experts.

The hearing will discuss how to diagnose, treat, and increase awareness of the disease, which is more prevalent in Loudoun than anywhere else in Virginia.

Subsequent forums will be held in 2011 in Northern Virginia, Norfolk, Richmond, Roanoke and Harrisonburg.

The task force joins other regional and local efforts from leaders like Congressman Frank Wolf (R-10th) and Loudoun Supervisor Jim Burton (I-Blue Ridge).

About 200 to 250 cases of Lyme disease are reported in Loudoun County each year.

Local plans to combat the spread of the disease include controlled hunting of white-tailed deer that is part of the deer tick’s life cycle and special feeding stations that would coat deer with tick-repellent pesticide.

A deer tick takes about 36 hours to transmit Lyme disease. The longer the disease goes undiagnosed and untreated, the greater the chances are for brain, heart, and joint problems.

Support group

A Lyme disease support group meets every fourth Tuesday night, 7-8:30 p.m., at Sterling Family Practice, 21135 Whitfield Place, Suite 107, near the Cascades Library and Senior Center. No need to call ahead or register. For more information, call 703-421-7000, or visit lymenet.org/SupportGroups/UnitedStates/Virginia/EastLoudoun.shtml.

Comments

Mon, Nov 15 at 07:23 PM by concerned citizen with Lyme...:

http://www.loudountimes.com/index.php/news/article/loudoun_to_host_initial_lyme_disease_hearing/

@ N.R. Holder… as one who has been diagnosed with Lyme disease, I can tell you that it hasn’t been too long since this has been taken seriously here… as a native New Yorker, I was well aware of the signs and symptoms… but had to search to find a local physician who had the proper awareness… thank goodness those days are gone… I think the task force should look at pockets of the county where Lyme is epidemic…and they are not hard to find…

Why in the world is Mike Ferris the head of this commission? Are all the other seminars being held at far right” colleges”?

Lee, am interested in a synopsis of the land use pattern that curtails lyme. Seems to me, building in an urban manor, that destroys the habitat for deer and thus removes them from common contact with humans, would be the best land use pattern. Agree? And thus, the ‘design with nature’ style, where natural areas, tree preservation, and stream and wetlands buffers are incorporated are in fact leaving deer habitat so that they can co-mingle with humans. And then, any rural residential development like seen all over western Louduon would also be a risk. I’m sure the incidence of lyme in Washington DC, Falls Church, or Arlington are far lower than Loudoun, Fairfax, Fauqier, etc. which have suburbanized and not (entirely) destroyed their natural environments. Please respond.

The hearing will discuss how to diagnose, treat, and increase awareness of the disease, which is more prevalent in Loudoun than anywhere else in Virginia.

Subsequent forums will be held in 2011 in Northern Virginia, Norfolk, Richmond, Roanoke and Harrisonburg.My hope is that the task force will recognize this work and recommend that amendments to land use patterns and regulations be considered as a part of curtailing the spread of lyme disease in the State.

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I have worked as a town planner for Leesburg for over 20 years and was diagnosed as having lyme disease last summer. In my search for medical approaches to treating the disease I came across several research papers describing how certain land use patterns and plant types have a connection to the increase in the risk of infection with lyme. The National Science Foundation in Arlington, VA is one of the organizations that studied this link. The task force should consider taking a look at these reports as part of their information gathering. My hope is that the task force will recognize this work and recommend that amendments to land use patterns and regulations be considered as a part of curtailing the spread of lyme disease in the State.

This is amazing. North Carolina still seems to think there IS no Lyme disease problem in the South. Good for Virginia!!!