Lyme disease protection: No vaccine yet, but an antibody shot could soon provide a season of immunity

Lyme disease is named after the town it was discovered in, which is Lyme , Connecticut, USA.

It is has also been found now in Japan, but its not so common.

However, much more worrisome in Japan is SFTS which is found only in East Asia (and only for now in the south/west half of Japan). Its a different tick disease which has a 30+% mortality rate and no cure or treatment.

Be careful of them ticks!

However, much more worrisome in Japan is SFTS which is found only in East Asia (and only for now in the south/west half of Japan). Its a different tick disease which has a 30+% mortality rate and no cure or treatment.

SFTS is not thought to become that much of a problem, the high mortality rate came from studying very few symptomatic cases but after the alarm after 2011 increased testing and vigilance did not resulted in more cases, about 50 by year for the whole country. Since it was found that many wild and domestic animals, have antibodies against the virus it seems it has been present from a long time in Japan without ever causing many cases, which allowed it to pass under the radar until recently.

Since the disease is caused by a virus there is a good chance that an effective vaccine can be developed, the difficulty is in getting enough interest to actually do it because the low amount of cases doesn't make it a priority.

Now, annual & bi-annual ‘boosters’. Eventually, a “season of immunity” ??

In the past, it was just childhood immunizations, specific-travel inoculations, periodic shots for tetanus.

It all makes one question the future and humanity’s diminishing resistance to disease. Regardless, pharmaceutical companies will be ‘making a killing’.

It all makes one question the future and humanity’s diminishing resistance to disease.

I tend not to think human immunity is diminishing. Rather, in the past we suffered and died, often not even knowing what virus or bacteria was causing our problems.

This is some good news, especially for Canadians and Americans in the northern states.

Good news. I often find deer ticks on me after hunting here in Japan.