Chimpanzee with Lyme goes on a rampage

Feb 2009

There is a tragic story from Connecticut. A chimpanzee that was being treated for Lyme disease went on a rampage severly mauling a woman and injuring several others. Police officers shot the animal to death.

The Chimp was remarkably intelligent. It could log onto the computer, bathe itself and brush it's teeth and dress itself. Connecticut is well know as a Lyme disease hotspot. As many of us who are familiar with Lyme know, it can affect the nervous system. Apparently this animal was affected and the owner was trying to treat it with Xanax for it's mood swings.

The government, insurance companies, and some in the medical community insist that a 30 day treatment is all that is required. They ignore the long term effects of the disease.

It is sad that such a tiny organism inside such a tiny insect can cause so much grief.

While I realize that the Chimpanzee was a dear friend of it's owner, I am hoping that the medical community can gain some insights from it into how Lyme disease affects the nervous system. Supposedly Chimpanzees share something like 98% of their DNA with Humans.

Here are a few links to articles about this incident:

• Times Online
• Associated Press
• MSNBC