Lyme Disease Research Paper

Lyme disease has emerged as the most common vector borne infectious disease in the United States and has presented a growing challenge to public health officials over the past three decades. The infection represents a significant disease burden to the population of the United States with nearly 30,000 new cases diagnosed per year and an estimated additional 270,000 annual incident cases that go unreported. The disease results from a bacterial infection with the spirochete bacteria B. burgdorferi. This bacterial agent is transmitted to humans from the bite of a tick and is most commonly associated Ixodes species blacklegged ticks. These ticks represent the largest genus of the family Ixodidae and mainly inhabit temperate forest or grassland

First, one uses tweezer and grasps the tick as close to the skin as possible. Second, pull upward and make sure the entire tick is removed including the mouth part. Third, thoroughly clean the bitten area with rubbing alcohol. If a rash develops after a few days, seek medical help for proper diagnoses. Patients are treated with antibiotics. The three presenters listed that they orally took doxycycline and amoxicillin. The first question one should ask themselves when finding a tick is how long the tick has been attached since a person is not treated with antibiotics if it has not been attached for more than three days. In order to prevent lyme disease, one must be aware of his or her surroundings. When spending time outdoors, cover exposed skin by wearing light-colored, long pants, sleeves, and socks. One must use insect spray if spending a long time in high grass, leaves, or bushes. Also, always check pets for ticks when they come inside the home. If a tick is found attached to your clothes, place the clothes in the dryer for an

Rocky Mountain spotted fever is caused by a type of bacteria called Rickettsia rickettsii. This type of bacteria is carried by American dog ticks and Rocky Mountain wood ticks. People get infected through a bite from a tick that is infected with the bacteria. The bite is painless and frequently goes unnoticed.

Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States. The disease was first discovered in 1975 after a group of children were suffering from rheumatoid arthritis like disease. One similarity the children had was playing in wooded areas during the summer in the area of Lyme, Connecticut. However, the bacteria was not isolated until late 1981 by Dr. Willy Burgdorfer. Lyme disease has become an important public health problem in the Midwest and Eastern United States with incidence rates steadily increasing.

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection caused by a spirochete, a corkscrew-shaped bacterium called Borrelia burgodorferi. Lyme disease is primarily transmitted through tick bites, there has been no reported cases of human to human transfer of Lyme disease. Ixodes ticks, also known as deer ticks are the typical carriers of the Lyme disease. The ticks can most primarily be found in wooded and grassy areas. Due to the fact these ticks are only the size of a poppy seed they usually go undetected when they bite. Once the tick is attached to the skin it can feed for several days; the longer the tick is attached the more likely Lyme disease will be transmitted. Lyme disease can affect any organ of the body including the brain, nervous system, muscles, joints, and even the heart. In some cases, if a pregnant woman develops Lyme disease it can pass on to the unborn child and in some cases stillbirth has occurred due to the disease.

Imagine someone who loves the outdoors and loves life. While they are out and about doing what they love, they are unknowingly bitten by a deer tick. They start to develop a few symptoms and get diagnosed with Lyme disease some time later. Their whole life will be different forever. How does this happen? What is Lyme disease? Lyme disease is classified as a zoonosis, a disease that is spread from animals to humans. Humans acquire this disease through the bite of contaminated deer ticks. The tick contracts different kinds of Borrelia bacteria by feeding on deer and mice. Any human that the tick bites afterwards may be at risk for developing the disease. Once the Borrelia enters the human bloodstream, the bacteria begins attacking body systems. Some of the organs include the brain, heart, and joints, but all organs are at risk. Symptoms include aches anywhere on your body; joints, head, stomach, heart. Some people have also experienced memory loss or confusion, shaking, and flu-like symptoms. Different people have different symptoms. It’s crazy to think that one

Lyme disease can sometimes be difficult to diagnose as standard blood tests may give a false negative result. The bloodwork used to diagnose Lyme disease relies on the antibodies that the body makes in response to infection with Borrelia. It often takes a few weeks for a person’s body to generate enough antibodies to show up on a blood test, however, time is crucial in the treatment in the treatment of Lyme disease. Additionally, many symptoms of Lyme disease coincide with those of other issues and it may be difficult to differentiate between possible diseases and conditions.

This means avoiding ticks, the organism that is most responsible for spreading this disease to humans. Long sleeved clothing, wearing hats, and tucking pants into one’s socks are all common preventative measures. Another way to prevent the spread from tick to human, is to remove the tick as soon as it is found on the skin so that there is less time to actually transmit the disease. Aenishaenslin et al. claims that Lyme disease is very often an endemic species, and only two cases must be confirmed in a county in order for it to become an endemic county. Antibiotics are most commonly used in order to treat Lyme disease. However, the vigor with which drugs are used depends greatly on the stage of the disease that the patient has progressed to. Treatment may last several weeks; if symptoms persist, or return, another round of medication will be

Lyme disease is vector borne disease that is caused by the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria. It is transmitted to humans by the nymphal stage of scapularis ticks (Levi et al, 2012). It is widespread in North America, and is often times discussed about in relation to deer population. While ticks use deer often as a reproductive host, this article discusses that deer are not the only factor that affect the prevalence of Lyme disease. Small mammals and predation play a major role in the emergence of this Lyme disease.

Staying away from areas that have a high risk for infected ticks is the best way to not get the disease. This, however, can not be avoided when the high risk areas are increasing and that those areas are inhabited by many animals, insects, and humans. There are ways to avoid getting infected with Lyme disease such as tick and insect repellant, protective clothing, and proper tick removal. Tick and insect repellants are effective for keeping ticks away for several hours to several days, depending on the repellant used. Trans-p-menthane-3,8-diol is a repellant that can last for several days and is effective for the prevention of tick bites when camping, hiking, living in an area that has a high risk for Lyme disease. N, N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide, or DEET, is another repellant that prevents tick bites. It does not last as long, however, and must be re-applied for the best results. Protective clothing is also important for people who could be bitten by ticks. This decreases the exposure of a person’s skin so that the ticks are not able to latch on and transmit the disease. It is also advised for people to practice good personal hygiene after possible exposure to ticks. Ticks will find the warm, moist, crevasses of the skin to latch on, so those areas of the body must be checked often. The most effective way to remove a tick is with forceps in a swift, smooth motion that pulls the entire tick

“Lyme disease is caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected blacklegged ticks (Ixodes spp.). Early manifestations of infection include fever, headache, fatigue, and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans. Left untreated, late manifestations involving the joints, heart, and nervous system can occur. A Healthy People 2010 objective (14-8) is to reduce the annual incidence of Lyme disease to 9.7 new cases per 100,000 population in 10 reference states where the disease is endemic (Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin). This report summarizes surveillance data for 64,382 Lyme disease cases reported to CDC during 2003-2005, of which 59,770 cases (93%) were reported from the 10 reference states. The average annual rate in these 10 reference states for the 3-year period (29.2 cases per 100,000 population) was approximately three times the Healthy People 2010 target. Persons living in Lyme disease--endemic areas can take steps to reduce their risk for infection, including daily self-examination for ticks, selective use of acaricides and tick repellents, use of landscaping practices that reduce tick populations in yards and play areas, and avoidance of tick-infested areas.” (U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2007.)

Lyme disease is the most prevalent vector-borne disease in the United States (1). Lyme disease is caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi, which is transmitted via the bite of an infected Ixodes

Lyme disease, another name for Lyme borreliosis, is the most common vector- borne disease in the northern hemisphere and still continues to increase in occurrence (Pearson). In almost all instances, the bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, is transmitted to humans through a tick bite (Pearson). Ticks are blood-sucking anthropods that are small and they survive in urban parks and gardens where there is enough humidity and shade to prevent them from drying out (Pearson). Ticks are most active in the months between April and October, but in warmer areas they may be active throughout the entire year (Pearson). Lyme

Ehrlichiosis in contracted from deer tick bites. Spending time in areas with large numbers of ticks especially wooded areas with tall grass and brush puts people at risk for bites. Ticks may also be brought home on a pet and then transferred

Most ticks are harmless, but some carry germs that can spread to a person through a bite and cause disease. To reduce your risk of getting a disease from a tick bite, it is important to take steps to prevent tick bites. It is also important to check for ticks after being outdoors and, if you find one, to watch for symptoms of disease.