COLE COUNTY - Experts from the Infectious Diseases Society of America are debating whether to recognize chronic lyme disease as an official diagnosis.

Advocates say this would be an important move because the current treatments don't completely cure the disease, lead to other illnesses and leaves patients not covered by insurance.

Mid-Missouri is home to six of the seven more infectious tick-borne illnesses in existence.

Charles Brown, an MU lyme disease researcher, says tick-related illnesses often go undiagnosed. He specializes in the way lyme disease causes arthritis. Brown says in mice, 10 percent of mice end up developing the lyme-related illness.

Some patients say there's a laundry list of other subsequent illnesses caused by lyme disease.

Mid-Missouri Tick Illness Coalition director Laurice Stevens says she and her son both have the disease and it has manifested itself in a variety of ways.

Stevens says many illnesses like multiple-sclerosis, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome can all be derivatives of lyme disease. She experiences fatigue and arthritis which she attributes to two previous bouts with lyme disease.

Supporters of the chronic lyme disease argument say long-term effects are results of Borrealia burgdorferi, the spiral-shaped bacteria which causes lyme disease.

Brown says antibiotics used on lyme disease patients don't completely wipe out bacteria, but he does not know of any research indicating the disease masquerades as other illnesses.

Reported by Chance Seales

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