Lyme Disease Deceives The Immune System

Lyme borreliosis or Lyme disease can be devastating both physically and mentally for victims. The disease is transmitted by a vector, specifically a tick, which infects their host by biting and infecting them with pathological spirochete bacteria known as Borrelia burgdorferi (Muschart & Blommaert, 2015). There are several species of Borrelia globally, and as a group, the bacteria are referred to as Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Pearson, 2015). The disease originated from, Lyme Connecticut, of which it was named, after a patient was mistakenly diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis when the cause of their disease was B. burgdorferi or Lyme disease (Snow, 2013). Lyme disease is classified as one of the most common and growing vector-born disease in the United States as well as Europe (Snow, 2013). Understanding how Lyme disease progresses through the body as well as the disease’s signs and symptoms are essential to understanding how to treat the disease and stop it from spreading throughout the body with destructive results. With a disease as potentially devastating as Lyme disease, early treatment is required for a better outcome (Pearson, 2015). This research paper will discuss the pathophysiology of three Lyme conditions known as Lyme arthritis, Lyme neuroborreliosis, and Lyme carditis and provide an overview of the signs and symptoms of Lyme disease and treatments, and how to prevent infection.

Physicians in Canada have not been properly exposed to the symptoms of clinical Lyme disease; therefore it has become difficult to diagnose a patient with clinical Lyme disease. Professional organizations, such as International Lyme and associated disease society, and Lyme literate medical doctors, have acknowledged the uncommonness of Lyme disease in Canada (Magnotta, 2015). Canada has been highlighted with concerns of misdiagnosis and the increased cost in public health care. The lack of research and resources in Canada, have caused physicians to dismiss the clinical symptoms of Lyme disease, and diagnose patients with a variety of other illnesses, such as fibromyalgia, chronic Fatigue syndrome, to name a few, or something less substantial such as increased anxiety or stress (Magnotta, 2015). A case study presented in Hospital News has recognized that the rarity of symptoms requires hospitals and clinics to do excessive amounts of testing and the patient is sent to different specialists. These chronic illnesses are associated with bacteria, but the Canadian health system needs to recognize that the underlying diagnoses are infections, where Lyme disease

bodily functions, especially in the nervous system (1). It occurs because of the effect of bacterial infection, a Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria, which is blood-borne to a person by infectious ticks (1). The disease is more common in North America and Europe, especially in wilderness areas and grassland (1). Lyme disease is classified into phases according to the speed and the extent of the infection in the body. Early diagnosis and treatment prevent the patient from reaching the late phase, so it is important to be aware of the two phases of Lyme disease, which are the early disease phase that has two stages, and the late disease phase.

The exact mechanisms for its pathology are still trying to be understood. Although according to the Center for Disease Control, Lyme disease caused by B. burgdorferi has become the most common bacterial disease in the world.

It is important to this course because it affects any organ of the body, including the brain and nervous system, muscles and joints, and the heart. Lyme disease is a tick-borne illness caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. Borrelia burgdorferi is a bacterial species of the spirochete class of the genus Borrelia. B. burgdorferi which resides mostly in North America and Europe and is the creator of Lyme disease. If the disease is left untreated an infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the nervous system. The bacteria often is found in the skin, after the infected tick has been in place for 36 to 48 hours.

The disease is caused by a bacteria lipoprotein (BLPs) produced by Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb) of which over 100 strains exist. Bp is primarily transmitted through tick bites. The standard routine for treating Lyme disease involve use of antibiotics, although this has been shown to be inefficient in other cases because Bb recreates itself every 7 days through a complex in-vitro replication cycle. Untreated Lyme disease can develop into a more severe case called Chronic Lyme Disease (CLD). Some of the symptoms of lime disease include facial drooling, rashes and flu-like symptoms such as nausea, joint pain, fever, muscle pain

Borrelia burgdorferi was first diagnosed as Lyme disease in 1982 when the bacteria were isolated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The spirochete has been in the United States and Europe for many years but had gone un-diagnosed because of the limited medical knowledge. It is named after the leading American bacteriologist, Willy Burgdorfer, after his extensive research between the arachnid vectors and the human host was acknowledged. He studied many different diseases caused by animals, but the discovery of Lyme disease gained him recognition around the world. There are many tick-borne diseases, but Lyme disease is the number one tick-borne disease in America. The number of diagnoses has increased significantly in the last

The black legged tick is the new name for the deer tick, it can cause all kinds of problems if you are unlucky enough to get bitten. The symptoms of deer tick bites include:

The symptoms of lyme disease is normally a fever, headache, chills, fatigue, and a rash. Early symptoms might include a rash that is an expanding red area, it forms center of a bulls eye pattern type. Sometimes it is called ‘erythema migrans’, which refers to a rash. The later symptoms will include joint pain, swelling, vomiting and nausea. It might also cause some neurological problems like inflammation surrounding the brain.

Stage 2 or the disseminated infection, is when neurological symptoms (15% of cases) such as stiff neck, mild headache, and difficulty with mentation will appear. Bell’s Palsy may also occur at this point. Approximately half of undiagnosed cases will develop Lyme arthritis and changing musculoskeletal pain.1 Swelling and pain in large joints as well as shooting pains that wake individuals at night may occur. There may be additional EM rashes over various parts of the body as well as heart palpitations and dizziness due to changes in heartbeat, which is known as Lyme carditis.2 This will begin days to weeks after the spirochete has spread.1 These symptoms may resolve on their own over weeks to months, but if Lyme is left untreated, it can result in long term symptoms and conditions or Stage 3.2

Even though people think of this disease as an East Coast phenomenon it is actually found all over the United States and in other countries. Diagnosing Lyme disease can be difficult, which leads to misdiagnosis and treatment for other conditions. This is primarily because Lyme disease symptoms mimic several other diseases. People who spend time outdoors are at higher risk for tick bites, as are children. The disease can affect people of all ages.

The early disseminated stage marks when Lyme disease becomes systemic and effects the musculoskeletal, cardiac and neurological systems. It can occur weeks to months after the bite when the spirochete travels to organs via hematologic or lymphatic channels (Nichols & Windermuth p.363, 2013). Infected patients may present with a long list of secondary diagnoses such as lymphadenopathy, meningtitis, Bell’s palsy, cranial neuritis, radiculoneuritis, arterioventricular block as well as joint and muscle pain. (Nichols & Windemuth, p363, 2013).

Every disease has a causative agent. The causative agent of Lyme disease is the bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi. Borrelia burgdorferi is a spirochete. It is not classified as either Gram-positive or Gram-negative. When B. burgdorferi is Gram-stained, the cells stain a weak Gram-negative by default, as safranin is the last dye used. Lyme disease does not only affect certain cells, tissues, organs within the host. As Lyme disease is a multi-system disease which can affect virtually every tissue and every organ of the human body. Lyme disease is a tick-borne systemic infection caused by a spiral organism, Borrelia burgdorferi, characterized by neurological, joint, and cardiac manifestations. Lyme disease is carried by a tiny tick. It begins with a bite and a rash that can be so slight, you may not even notice. However, the consequences can be serious, sometimes fatal. Ticks can feed on mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Most ticks prefer to have a different host at each stage of their life. Risks of human

Lyme disease is a bacterial illness that is transfused to humans via a bite from a tick infected with the disease. (Ticks are scientifically classified as Arachnida, a specific classification that also includes spiders.) The most common ticks known to carry Lyme disease are the Deer Tick and the Western Black-Legged Tick. The first manifestation of an infection is typically a rash, which may appear to resemble a bull 's eye. The proliferation of the infection progressively brings on symptoms that include headache, fever, muscle and joint pain, fatigue and stiffness of the neck. Lyme disease goes undiagnosed because of the size of these ticks being the size of a peppercorn and unobserved by person that was bitten. In addition, numerous symptoms are like those of the flu and other bacterial infections. Laboratory evaluations may help facilitate at this stage, but may not always give a clear diagnosis. (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, 2016).

Imagine, as a 12 year old, not being able to move. Every part of your body feels like lead and you’re barely able to lift your head up. You have no energy, sleeping all day and hardly able to perform mundane, everyday activities. Headaches and stomach pains are a normal part of your life. You stop hanging out with your friends and become isolated in your room because you can barely function. This is what happened to my sister. Once a happy, playful child, she became almost lifeless laying on the couch all day. The pain she lived through every day showed in her eyes. All of the pain came from a single source: lyme disease. Lyme disease is a when borrelia burgdorferi infects the body’s immune system, via deer tick bites (Halperin, pg. 1). First discovered in 1977, lyme disease has become one of the most significant vector- borne diseases in America. (Fuller, pg. 132). By 2002, more than 23,000 cases have been reported (Fuller, pg. 132). Even though the number of cases for lyme disease has increased dramatically, many people have still never heard of lyme disease. Many doctors in the past have misdiagnosed patients because they believed there was no such thing as lyme disease. Each case affects the body differently, making it more difficult to figure out the symptoms for the disease.