Lyme Disease Case Study

Typical incubation periods between initial infection and symptom presentation is between 7 and 14 days. The classic symptomology indicating infection is the development of Erythema-Migrans, which is a bulls-eye shaped rash or legion that emanates from the site of the original tick bite. Although this is considered the characteristically identifiable symptom of early Lyme disease infection, studies have shown that as few as 35% of patients develop a rash (Nadelman et al., 1996). Other common indications of early Lyme disease include, flu-like symptoms and the development of Bell’s palsy. Common treatments for early stage cases include oral antibiotics and are highly effective in relieving infections. However, patients who do not receive treatment and develop CLD or acquire Post Lyme Disease Syndrome can experience significantly more severe health problems. Symptoms of these conditions include those found in early stages as well as, cognitive impairment, insomnia, neuropathy, and heart problems (Wormser et al., 2006). The nature of this bacterial infection and its increasing global incidence has made it a disease of significant interest in the public health and medical

Lyme disease was discovered in the 1970’s, as any other disease was, by a large number of cases, with patients having the same symptoms. In Lyme, Connecticut, a doctor was having patients who were all suffering from the same symptoms that made patients become debilitated. There were so many cases that the doctor marked it as an unknown disease. It wasn’t until later in the 1980’s that there were more widespread cases throughout the north-east. Lyme disease is becoming a serious problem in the north-east and especially in New York State, given the drastic increase of cases. Without treatment Lyme disease can result in blindness and in severe cases, death.

Disseminated Lyme disease symptoms are most prevalent in victims of either misdiagnosis or total lack of prior diagnosis. The difficulty at this stage prevails with the nature of the symptoms, which could be confusing because of the nature of being persistent or transient (California Lyme Disease Association, n.d.). The disease finally sets in the chronic stage, characterized by a late infection that is persistent. However, the complication of the Lyme disease at this point is connected to the lack of universal recognition of the condition, even by experts in infectious disease. Thus, the diagnosis of Lyme disease becomes a controversial presentation (Lyme Research Alliance, n.d.). The chronic stage notably takes up to months and at times years to appear following initial bites by a

The first stage involves the hallmark of the disease, having a bullseye like rash known as erythema migrans at the site of the bite, and also flu like symptoms such as fatigue, fever, and headache. Not all individuals experience the erythema migrans so it is not a required finding for the diagnosis of the disease. If left untreated, the disease will advance to the second stage. The second stage is known as the early disseminated stage, and is when the infection has progressed to other areas of the body. It can involve additional erythema migrans on different parts of the body, Bell’s palsy, inflammation of the spinal cord, swelling the joints, and heart palpitations. Like other spirochete infections, such as syphilis, the disease can have various asymptomatic periods (Bhate, 2011). The third stage, can result in arthritic bouts and neurological issues such as numbness in different parts of the body and/or short term memory

Many people look forward to the spring and summer months because they get to go back out into nature. Swimming, hiking, and fishing are just some of the outdoor activities that many people enjoy this time of year. Unfortunately when the weather warms, the deer ticks come out and with them come Lyme disease.

The disease can affect a human’s skin, joint, neurologic and/or cardiac manifestations. Early Lyme is 2 to 30 days prior to the tick bite, which includes fever, chills, headache, fatigue, muscle and joint aches, and swollen nodes. Late Lyme would be weeks to years after the tick bite, which include episodes of dizziness or shortness of breath and problems with short-term memory. Early Lyme can be treated with antibiotics and late Lyme can be treated with IV antibiotics. In the absence of neurologic or cardiac symptoms, treatment recommendations for adults would be a 14-day course of oral antibiotics. Doxycyline 100 mg twice daily is the preferred treatment; alternatively, amoxicillin 500 mg three times daily or cefuroxime axetil 500 mg twice daily may be prescribed (History of Lyme Disease | Bay Area Lyme Foundation. n.d.). The most common diagnostic tests for Lyme disease are indirect ones. Two-tiered testing uses two tests. The first is a screening test that should detect anyone who might have the disease. Tests that do this well have are regarded as having high sensitivity. This test is followed by a second test that is intended to make sure that only people with the disease are diagnosed. Tests that do this well have high specificity (Lyme disease is a clinical diagnosis, based on your medical history, symptoms and exposure to ticks. n.d.). Diagnose of Lyme can be difficult to detect because

Bacterium Borrelia Burgdorferi is a highly specialized, motile, two-membrane, spiral-shaped bacterium that lives primarily as an extracellular pathogen. The bacteria is 0.2 to 0.3 micrometers wide, though the cell length may exceed 15 to 20 micrometers.

The most widely recognized vector-borne sickness in the United States is Lyme disease. Lyme disease is a multisystem disease brought on by contamination with the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi and the body's immune reaction to the infection. The disease is transmitted to people by means of tick bites, from infected ticks of the family Ixodes.

Lyme disease is caused by a spirochete— spirochete is a corkscrew-shaped bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferi. A group of children in Old Lyme, Connecticut, had mysterious arthritis-like symptoms and led to being identified in 1975. Because Lyme Disease symptoms copies many other diseases,Lyme Disease is also known as “The Great Imitator,”.

Lyme disease is an illness that spread through spirochetes thereby affecting the patient’s nervous system, brain, joints, muscle and heart among other body parts if left untreated. According to AHN USA, Lyme is one of the most serious epidemics of this age. Since 1991, the number of people suffering from this serious multi-system inflammatory disease in the USA has doubled. This figure is backed by CDC statistics that show over 320,000 new cases of the disease are reported every year. In spite of the rising cases treating Lyme disease has proven difficult because to be difficult because of underreporting and inaccurate test.

Main Content: Different studies conducted by experts have found that Lyme disease is actually a complex of contaminations that are transferred into a human body by deer ticks and a few other insects. It can lead to flu like symptoms, muscle and joint pain. In fewer than 10% of Lyme cases, cardiac and neurological symptoms might occur. This happens generally when treatment is not provided or postponed for more than 1 month

The client reports no medical problems. Her mother stated she was a healthy baby and was an early walker. During childhood, she had the chicken pox, measles, and a severe case of head lice. She was a physically active child, preferring outside sports, with boys. She denies taking any medication or any over the counter medications. No allergies of food sensitivities were reported. She states she dates, but she is still a

The bullseye rash is a reasonably common allergic reaction after a bite from the parasite.

Lyme disease is a tick-borne illness, a disease caused by a bacterium borrelia burgdorferi, borrelia mayonii, borrelia afzelii, and or borrelia garinii. The bacterium borrelia burgdorferi is the causative agent in the United States. There are fifty-two known types of borrelia and twenty-one of those are the lyme disease group. Borrelia is from an infected tick bite by a blacklegged tick. The infection from the bite will enter through the skin through that bite and it will make its way to and through the bloodstream. To get the infection, the tick must be attached to you for thirty-six to forty-eight hours.

In the year 1883, German Physician Alfred Buchwald determined an unusual infection of skin affliction (ACA) Acrodermatitis chronic atrophicans in its late stage, the acute symptoms fibrosis of the skin causing extreme inflammation were determined to be caused by an infection of Borrelia afzelii, a strain of Lyme disease found in Europe. (Lymediseaseguide.org “What is Lyme disease” May 29, 2016). According to the CDC Lyme disease was nationally recognized in the United States, during the late 1970’s, a rheumatologist from Yale provided the first example of the affliction; initially it was deemed an unconventional onset, of pubescent rheumatoid arthritis, in a town called Lyme, Connecticut yet over the course of his studies it was later determined to be an arthropod vector transmitting disease.