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Web posted June 13, 1998

Editor, The Chronicle:

In reference to ``tick doctors'' Michael Felz and Daniel Rahn (article, June 9), I am concerned by Dr. Rahn's statement ``... Lyme disease is relatively uncommon here.'' For those people who have contracted Lyme (disease) here, the disease is too common and quite relative.

In contrast, a University of South Carolina study found that ``... Borrelia Burgdorferi (Lyme) is endemic in South Carolina ...'' among rodents, the carriers of Lyme-infected ticks. A Clemson survey of more than 2,000 primary care physicians in South Carolina with a 42.3 percent response rate found 414 cases of Rocky Mountain Fever and 334 cases of Lyme disease. Dr. Felz maintains Rocky Mountain Fever is underreported. Wouldn't that apply to Lyme also?

Even Dr. Rahn supports that argument by stating, ``...doctors suspect that a lot of tick-borne illnesses go undiagnosed because people don't associate their flu-like symptoms with the tick bite.''

I didn't associate my ``flu-like symptoms'' with the tick bite andresulting bulls-eye rash on my stomach, much less Lyme (disease). Finally, after a couple of years of increasingly debilitating fatigue, joint pain, chronic stiff neck and headaches, my family physician diagnosed Lyme (disease).

On two occasions I attempted to see Dr. Felz. I was turned down and forced to seek care outside the Central Savannah River Area. I assume Dr. Felz was too busy chasing ticks around his desk.

Dr. Rahn's dismissal of the presence of Lyme (disease) in the CSRA compromises the public health of our community. I suggest Dr. Felz hire an entomologist and Dr. Rahn relinquish his publishing duties so they can resume seeing patients in a ``big year for ticks.''

It is difficult to determine the commonality of Lyme (disease) and other tick-borne illnesses in our area without human subjects.

In closing, I am eternally grateful to the doctors who did not dismiss the presence of Lyme disease in South Carolina and treated me accordingly.

Margaret K. Armendariz, Aiken