Losing To Lyme

A 2017 series on why we're losing the battle against tick-borne diseases and what we can do about it

Larry Dapsis points out a tick the size of a poppy seed on the white cloth captured along a path near Dennis Pond in Yarmouth. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

7 Things I Learned While Reporting On Lyme And Other Tick-Borne Diseases

Dr. David Scales offers lessons learned from his months of reporting.

Local Coverage

Aug 31, 2017

Dr. David Crandell and Jean Marie Hart discuss her status living with Lyme disease during check-up at the Dean Center for Tick Borne Illness at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Many Seek Care At Boston 'Tick-Borne Impairment' Clinic That Tries To Avoid Taking Sides On Lyme

Instead of focusing on the most contentious Lyme disease questions -- diagnostic labels, long-term antibiotics -- Spaulding Hospital's Dean Center sidesteps the controversy and focuses on treating patients’ symptoms.

Local Coverage

Aug 25, 2017

In this June 22, 2017 photo, a mouse is tagged and inspected in Millbrook, N.Y., as part of a research project by the Cary Institute Of Ecosystem Studies. (Michael Hill/AP)

One Step Closer To Making Mice That Fight Lyme, Scientists Ask Nantucket: Should We Move Forward?

If the proposal comes to fruition, it could mean that a few years from now, islanders will witness the first deliberate release of a gene-edited mammal into the environment, says...

Local Coverage

04:09Aug 17, 2017

Tire-Tic is a tick extraction tool distributed in France. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

What We Can Learn From The French About Fighting Lyme Disease

France is the first country to release a national plan to fight Lyme disease -- though it has far fewer cases than the U.S. -- and Dr. David Scales looks...

Local Coverage

05:16Aug 11, 2017

In this 2014 photo, an informational card about ticks distributed by the Maine Medical Center Research Institute is seen in the woods in Freeport, Maine. (Robert F. Bukaty/AP)

Early, Unofficial Doctor's Office Data Supports Prediction Of Heavy Lyme Disease Season

Overall doctors are diagnosing about 15 percent more Lyme disease cases than they did last year, according to athenahealth -- with a lot of geographical variation.

Local Coverage

01:32Jul 27, 2017

Canine vaccines protect against Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Our Dogs Can Get Lyme Vaccines And We (Still) Can't. When Might We?

New vaccines or antibodies against Lyme disease in humans won't be available for several years at best, but at least there are projects underway, including clinical trials that began this...

Local Coverage

04:24Jul 21, 2017

Map: Where Lyme Disease Is Worsening In Mass.

Lyme disease is a big -- and growing -- problem in Massachusetts. Here's a county-by-county look.

Local Coverage

Jul 18, 2017

Science Shortfall: Why Don't We Know How Best To Fight Ticks And Lyme Disease?

Good science takes strong funding, and researchers just don't have the money to do the high-quality studies needed to answer some of the most important ecological questions even as ticks...

Local Coverage

04:51Jul 14, 2017

Larry Dapsis, an entomologist and Tick Project coordinator at the Barnstable County Cape Cod Cooperative Extension, points out a tick on white cloth captured along a path near Dennis Pond in Yarmouth. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

As Ticks And Lyme Disease Spread, Prevention Efforts Limited To 'Shoestring'

As ticks and the illnesses they carry continue to spread, even the most heroic efforts to educate the public are clearly not enough to stem tick-borne diseases.

Local Coverage

04:59Jul 14, 2017

Sections

Radio

Podcasts

CitySpace

Support

Losing To Lyme

7 Things I Learned While Reporting On Lyme And Other Tick-Borne Diseases

Local Coverage

Many Seek Care At Boston 'Tick-Borne Impairment' Clinic That Tries To Avoid Taking Sides On Lyme

Local Coverage

One Step Closer To Making Mice That Fight Lyme, Scientists Ask Nantucket: Should We Move Forward?

Local Coverage

What We Can Learn From The French About Fighting Lyme Disease

Local Coverage

Early, Unofficial Doctor's Office Data Supports Prediction Of Heavy Lyme Disease Season

Local Coverage

Our Dogs Can Get Lyme Vaccines And We (Still) Can't. When Might We?

Local Coverage

Map: Where Lyme Disease Is Worsening In Mass.

Local Coverage

Science Shortfall: Why Don't We Know How Best To Fight Ticks And Lyme Disease?

Local Coverage

As Ticks And Lyme Disease Spread, Prevention Efforts Limited To 'Shoestring'

Local Coverage

Sections

Radio

Podcasts

CitySpace

Support

Subscribe to our weekday newsletter

7 Things I Learned While Reporting On Lyme And Other Tick-Borne Diseases

Many Seek Care At Boston 'Tick-Borne Impairment' Clinic That Tries To Avoid Taking Sides On Lyme

One Step Closer To Making Mice That Fight Lyme, Scientists Ask Nantucket: Should We Move Forward?

What We Can Learn From The French About Fighting Lyme Disease

Early, Unofficial Doctor's Office Data Supports Prediction Of Heavy Lyme Disease Season

Our Dogs Can Get Lyme Vaccines And We (Still) Can't. When Might We?

Map: Where Lyme Disease Is Worsening In Mass.

Science Shortfall: Why Don't We Know How Best To Fight Ticks And Lyme Disease?

As Ticks And Lyme Disease Spread, Prevention Efforts Limited To 'Shoestring'