Series of Infographics From Quidel Corporation Helps Educate Consumers on the Characteristics, Warning Signs and Prevalence of Lyme Disease

About this update from Quidelortho Corporation

[{"type":"text","content":"--News Direct--With Lyme disease being identified in record numbers throughout the country, Quidel releases a series of consumer-friendly infographics to help educate Americans on its characteristics, warning signs, seasonality and areas of prevalence. The infographics can be found at LymeDiseaseAnswers.com.“Lyme disease afflicts nearly 480,000 Americans each year; so people are rightfully concerned about where it is most pervasive, how to avoid getting it, and what to do if you think you may have been bitten by an infected tick,” said Judi Tilghman, Ph.D., vice president of technology assessment at Quidel Corporation. “These infographics provide the information people are seeking in an easy-to-understand manner, and we encourage anyone who spends any time outdoors to educate themselves on this vitally important topic.” One infographic, for example, displays the early warning signs of Lyme disease—which could include headache, fatigue, a bulls-eye rash and muscle aches—while a second infographic depicts such late-stage symptoms as nerve pain, shortness of breath, brain fog and heart palpitations. There is an infographic showing the relative sizes of the larva, nymph and adult ticks; while still another infographic illustrates the evolution of these ticks through spring, summer, fall and winter. There is also a map showing those states where various types of ticks are most prevalent.Lyme disease can strike anyone of any age, especially those who spend time in wooded or grassy areas or who play sports on grass fields in high-risk areas of the country. The challenge is that unlike a mosquito bite where people know immediately if they have been bitten, deer ticks that may carry Lyme disease are tiny—the size of a poppy seed—and symptoms may not appear for two to six weeks. That makes it critically important that anyone who spends time outdoors in heavily wooded areas—hikers, hunters, campers—or travels to such places be particularly vigilant and educated.Quidel is the diagnostic health care manufacturer behind the industry’s most rapid and reliable in-office test for Lyme disease, the Sofia® 2 Lyme FIA test. This revolutionary test provides the patient and physician with indicative results within 15 minutes, as opposed to days, which has historically been the norm (and during which time organisms can spread and become systemic). It ...

More updates from Quidelortho Corporation