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Is there Lyme everywhere, how about Puerto Rico?

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Lyme Disease
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Posted 11/18/2008 10:41 PM (GMT -5)
I have a friend in Puerto Rico whose son has been very ill. He is 14 and the doctors there think he has lupus. In my opinion lupus is unusual in males, especially 14 year olds. I suggested they test him for Lyme and she said there is no Lyme in Puerto Rico. (no deer there) Anyone know if that is so? They are giving him steroids and we all know how that is a mistake if it is Lyme. He has had joint pain, bone pain and lung/heart problems. Sure sounds like it could be Lyme to me.Thanks everyone-   D
Posted 11/18/2008 10:51 PM (GMT -5)
not sure, i personally think i contracted lyme in aruba...
Posted 11/18/2008 11:07 PM (GMT -5)
one has been reported to the CDC, I think in 2002: have a friend there too who was here with me when I got my tests back, she was curious about P.R. so we googled it
Posted 1/16/2015 5:47 PM (GMT -5)
http://www.rightdiagnosis.com/l/lyme_disease/stats-country.htm
Posted 1/16/2015 9:21 PM (GMT -5)
It has been found in every country in the world. I'd be very careful about statistics that don't come from a Lyme-friendly site.

People say it doesn't exist in the desert (i.e. Aruba)? Yeah, right. I've seen ticks practically hopping up from the sand in sandy areas.

Puerto Rico has some densely vegetated areas, so danged right, it exists in PR.

There may not be deer in the P.R., but I'm sure there are many dogs, and dogs are probably as dangerous as deer, esp. in a poorer country.

All mammals carry ticks; even songbirds carry ticks.

Margaret
Posted 1/16/2015 11:47 PM (GMT -5)
If a bird or a mosquito can get to the area, they have the potential to have, and likely do have Lyme there, whether or not it's being recognized.

I live in Arkansas where the 'officials' don't believe there Lyme disease, despite the fact that the state's surrounding us all have cases of Lyme disease and ticks don't see state lines and stop each other saying, "Wait! We can't go there! They don't have Lyme in that state yet!"
Posted 1/17/2015 10:08 AM (GMT -5)
Yeah, it's just as silly as the ticks saying, "Wait! It hasn't been 48 hours... don't send out the bacteria yet...." ;)
Posted 1/17/2015 12:56 PM (GMT -5)
LOL! Agreed, skBM!
Posted 1/17/2015 1:59 PM (GMT -5)
I've been to Puerto Rico: it looks and feels exactly like Hawai'i, where I got my infection. We have deer in the mountains in HI but officials still insist that it's impossible to get Lyme there. Total BS.

I've also seen lots of stories online of tourists reporting that they got bit by something in HI while hiking through the jungle to waterfalls--which PR has plenty of as well, as other people here mentioned. In HI, all my friends' dogs have oodles of ticks on them due to the tropical climate--I bet PR is the same. Please tell your friend to get the Igenex testing for this boy!

EDIT: Just saw that this original post was from 2008. Hope this family got some help.
Posted 1/17/2015 7:06 PM (GMT -5)
I hate when people say there is no Lyme here or there. Like suddenly they are experts and know everything there is to know about Lyme.

I have family in Puerto Rico and visited all the time when I was younger. Getting bitten by mosquitoes all the time was just a given. I haven't been there in a few years and I really want to go, but I'm worried about traveling and the heat. I think I'm going to wait til I'm a little more better or all the way better. *finger crossed*

I know the Caribbean has chikungunya, which resembles lyme in many ways.

From Wikipedia "Symptoms include sudden onset, sometimes biphasic fever typically lasting from a few days to a week, sometimes up to ten days, usually above 39 °C (102 °F) and sometimes reaching 41 °C (104 °F), and strong joint pain or stiffness usually lasting weeks or months but sometimes lasting years. Rash (usually maculopapular), muscle pain, headache, fatigue, nausea or vomiting may also be present.[13] Inflammation of the eyes may present as iridocy***is, or uveitis, and retina lesions may occur.[14]"
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