Buffalo, NY (WBEN) Ticks that cause Lyme Disease are out and about again as spring arrives and warmer weather is in the forecast.
At the same time, researchers at the University at Buffalo are teaming up to help Pfizer with a study on a Lyme Disease vaccine it's developed for children.
The purpose of the study is to learn more about the safety of an investigational Lyme vaccine in people between the ages of 5 and 17.
Dr. Mark Hicar, Associate Professor, Pediatrics at the UB Jacobs School of Medicine, says about 30 children will take part in the study. "It takes about two to two and a half years to complete," says Hicar. "It's for vaccinations based over that period. Usually they do a fever diary, or symptom diary for a week after each vaccination, and also just will do other check ins to make sure nothing else is popping up." About 3,000 participants will be enrolled in the United States.
Hicar says there are about 500,000 cases of Lyme Disease each year. "Upwards of a quarter of these cases will end up having arthritis. Smaller percentages will have neurological issues or heart block. And so it's vital enough that the Federal Drug Administration fast track this vaccine," says Hicar.
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When diagnosed, Lyme disease is easily treated, says Hicar. "It responds to medicine called doxycycline. Really well, except it's sometimes missed early. So that is the problem with Lyme," notes Hicar. He says if untreated, the bacteria that causes Lyme disease can spread through the bloodstream and cause serious problems in the brain, joints and heart. “I have treated many children with Lyme,” he said. “Cases of Lyme have been steadily increasing in our area over the last decade.”
Right now, the best way to prevent Lyme disease is to prevent tick bites. But Pfizer is conducting this clinical study to see if a Lyme disease vaccine it developed for children is safe and effective.
Hicar says it's hard to say what the Lyme disease forecast will be for this year. Generally, he says it's been getting worse and usually milder winters don't help. "We didn't totally have a freeze, so ticks survive the winter, they can go dormant. And unless it's a really super hard freeze, and they don't really die off, they can go underground," explains Hicar. He notes while WNY had a lot of snow, there was not a lot of very cold weather this past winter.
"Over the last 15 to 20 years, we have been seeing an increase in Lyme cases across the country and a spread more into western New York," slays Hicar.