Drug Used to Treat Lyme Disease Is In Short Supply
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - An antibiotic used to treat Lyme disease is in short supply in Minnesota, forcing some clinics to scramble as the tick season arrives.
Doxycycline is ordinarily cheap with many uses. It's been on the national drug shortage list since January because of manufacturing delays and rising demand.
Fairview Health Services says it still has supplies, but its wholesale cost has jumped from 8 cents per pill to more than $3.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Minnesota is one of the leading states for Lyme disease with 500 to 1,200 cases annually.
Lyme disease is usually transmitted by infected black-legged ticks. Symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue and a characteristic skin rash. Untreated infections can spread to joints, the heart and the nervous system.