St. Mary’s County proclaims May 2014 Lyme Disease Awareness Month; local survivor urges education and testing

The Board of County Commissioners for St. Mary’s County on May 20, 2014, proclaimed May 2014 as Lyme Disease Awareness Month and heard a presentation from a local survivor and program leader urging education, prevention and better access to care.

The proclamation, read during the commissioners’ meeting, noted that Maryland is among the states with high reported rates of Lyme disease and called for residents to practice prevention techniques such as frequent tick checks, the use of repellents and correct tick removal. The board “urge[d] every resident to take time this month to draw attention to this growing health problem and the importance of prevention, early detection, and proper treatment,” the proclamation said.

Marie Noelle Eteri, operations manager at the Northern Senior Activity Center in the county Department of Aging and Human Services, described her personal experience living with chronic Lyme disease and outlined three needs she said are critical for patients: health, healing and hope. She described diagnostic challenges, the variability of symptoms and the financial and social burdens experienced by people with prolonged illness.

"An early infection is pretty successfully treated, but the problem is if you don't get a diagnosis early and you have more chronic symptoms, and they can be very debilitating," Eteri said. She said patients face difficulty finding medical practitioners with experience in chronic Lyme, paying out-of-pocket costs, and sometimes traveling for care.

Eteri also described the variability of symptoms and the impact on daily life, relationships and employment. She recommended education, connecting with support groups, and patience in recovery. "Be patient. Don't beat yourself up, and please rely on others," she said, and said she runs a quarterly support group at the senior center.

K. Laurie Jennings Harris, director of the St. Mary’s County Department of Aging and Human Services, and Melanie Gardner of the St. Mary’s County Health Department joined the presentation and thanked Eteri for bringing attention to the issue. Gardner noted county staff are engaged with the topic and the department remains committed to working with residents and health-care providers on prevention and treatment.

Speakers recommended preventive steps for families and children — mowing grass short, using long clothing and repellents, and thorough tick checks after outdoor activity — and reiterated that not all ticks carry disease. Eteri described proper removal as gripping the tick close to the head and pulling straight out with tweezers to avoid squeezing the tick’s body and increasing infection risk.

The county health department and the senior center provided information about support groups: Calvert Memorial Hospital runs a monthly group the first Monday evening of each month; the Northern Senior Activity Center hosts a quarterly support and information meeting. Eteri said the next meeting at the senior center will meet in July and emphasized that materials and a resource book are available to residents.

The proclamation and presentation were made during the commissioners’ regular meeting. No formal vote on policy or budget followed the proclamation; it was presented as a recognition and educational item.

Community note: local presenters pointed residents to the documentary "Under Our Skin" and to national resources; the presenters also cited the U.S. Centers for Disease Control's updated case estimates as a reason for increased awareness and outreach.