Lyme Disease Is The Most Common Tick Borne Illness

Lyme disease can affect nearly all of our body’s functions in one way or another. According to Lyme expert Dr. Lee Cowden, “Typically, the elimination organs are invaded: Kidneys, bladder, liver, skin and lymph glands. The Borrelia

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.

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.

According to the CDC, “Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected blacklegged ticks. Typical symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans. Lyme

Statistics obtained from the Center of Disease Control and Prevention show that there are approximately 300,000 cases of Lyme Disease reported in the United States annually (CDC, 2016). The above data categorizes Lyme Disease as the number one animal carried and vector-borne disease. Vector is a term used to describe a living organism able to carry and spread an infectious disease from either animal to human or human to human (WHO, 2016). Surprisingly, it was not until 1982 that the CDC placed Lyme as an official disease category. Even though the awareness of the Lyme disease increased throughout the years, many people are still unaware of the symptoms, transmission methods as well as the underlying cause of the disease

With the recent events involving climate change, environmental diseases such as lyme disease have spread to first world countries. Lyme disease is a bacterial infection of the Borrelia burgdorferi spread by infected ticks (CDC, 2015). The blacklegged tick spreads the disease in the northeastern, mid-Atlantic, and north-central America, while the western blacklegged tick spreads the disease along the west coast (CDC, 2015). Since many of the ticks that are potential carriers of lyme are active during the summer months, they are more commonly found in the United States of America. It is estimated the 300000 people in the United States are diagnosed with Lyme each year, compared to 50000 people diagnosed with HIV/AIDs (LymeDisease.org, 2015).

There are several different types of preventative measures currently underway for combating Lyme disease. Most Lyme disease cases are reported in the midwest and northeast regions of the United States. It is crucial that residents of those regions are properly educated on the disease and what they can do specifically to lower their risk of infection. Preventive foresight for residents of regions where Lyme disease is most common include dressing appropriately to prevent tick bites while in wooded rural areas. It is recommended that each resident of the owner invests in tick repellents and acaricides. It is vital that residents of areas prone to the disease do research and receive education on the disease as well as inform the people around

Abstract: Ixodes scapularis and Ixodes pacificus are the two species of blacklegged ticks that act as vectors of transmission of the spirochete bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi to small mammals or human host, which cause Lyme disease in humans, also known as Lyme borreliosis (cdc.gov 2016; Qiu et al. 2002). After the pathogen’s initial entry through the skin, it proliferates in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid; Borrelia burgdorferi has also been seen in much smaller quantities in the following locations: ‘myocardium, retina, muscle, bone, spleen, liver, meninges, and brain’, which is the primary cause of more severe secondary symptoms of untreated infection (cdc.gov 2016; Steere 2004).

Tick borne diseases affect humans and other animals are caused by infected agents that are transmitted by tick bites. These agents are very harmful as they carry various infections as a single tick can carry more than one disease causing agent. Proper diagnosis is not available for tick borne diseases. Ticks are more active during warmer months. Area surrounded by woods, bushes, high grass, or leaf litter are likely to have more ticks. Wearing light clothing, using insect repellent, checking for ticks frequently, washing and drying clothes, etc. Another form of control is keeping a guinea-fowl that consumes large amounts of ticks. Major tick-borne disease are Relapsing fever, Typhus, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Tick-borne

The evidence shows that the discovery of the origins of Lyme Disease has been particularly difficult to determine. One of the very first physicians who reported on an expanding skin rash was Swedish dermatologist Arvid Afzelius. He eventually published his findings and hypothesized that the rash may be associated with the Ixodes

The most frequent manifestation of Lyme disease caused by Borrelia burgdoferi is erythema migrans, which is a circumscribed lesion of the skin that appears within 3 to 30 days following the tick bite. Arthritis and other musculoskeletal involvement are typical, and cardiovascular manifestations of Lyme disease consist of arrhythmia. Central nervous system can also be affected, but neurologic manifestations are highly

In the study “Lyme Disease in Outdoor Workers”, by Schwartz and Goldstein, they performed a statewide cross sectional study allowing them to understand and evaluate the many risk factors associated with Lyme Disease by measuring the levels of antibodies to B. Burgodferi (a bacteria).

Lyme disease is one that affects a variety of different organs and tissues in the body such as the heart, nervous system, muscles and bones, and the skin. Without any treatments the bacteria from the tick, borrelia burgdorferi, travels through the skin and connective tissues into the bloodstream. Lyme disease alters the pigment and surface of your skin by leaving behind a bull’s eye shaped rash. The bacteria has evolved to become an expert at hiding in human tissues making it nearly impossible to detect in blood samples

This document will provide in-depth research on the treatment and prevention of Lyme disease. Lyme disease is explained by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2015) as being “caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected blacklegged ticks” (What is bacteria? Section, para. 1). As explained, Lyme disease is spread through vector-borne transmissions. A vector-borne transmission is the spread of certain disease due to the bite of a vector. The vector in the case of Lyme disease is the blacklegged tick. Lyme’s etiology is explained by Perez and Bush (2014) as being “recognized in 1976 because of close clustering of cases in Lyme, Connecticut and is now the most commonly reported tick-borne illness in the US” (pg. 1). It is important to understand where a disease comes from so you can know where you are more likely to contract the disease.

Lyme disease is an infectious disease caused by the organism Borrelia burgdorferi. The disease is spread by the bite of the Ixodes tick, which is normally transmitted to humans by the white dear. Lyme disease is most often seen in north- and mid-Western states such as Connecticut. The bite of the Ixodes tick results in spread of B. burgdorferi through the blood stream. Patient often develop a characteristic bullseye rash (target rash) at the initiate site of inoculation. They subsequently develop spread of the rash diffusely across the body (erythema migrans), followed by systemic flu-like symptoms.