Lyme Disease Research Paper

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.

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection transmitted through the bite of one of several types of ticks. Borrelia burgdorferi (B burgdorferi) is the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. UMMC (2016) asserted that

Lyme disease is indeed relative to Biology 1113. Lyme disease is a bacterial infection transmitted by ticks that evades the human host. Given that bacteria is a living system it can be classified as an organism, which is significant to most of the topics we reviewed in Biology 1113. Some of those topics incorporated are reproduction, mitochondria and its role in cellular metabolism, and adaptation. Lyme disease provides an example into the reproductive abilities of the bacteria. In ticks, the disease reproduces asexually via binary fission. In humans the disease reproduces asexually throughout the host’s body. Mitochondrion has a prominent role in the regulation of cellular metabolism. When the host is infected by the bacteria it can lead to

In the early 1970s, a number of rheumatoid arthritis cases occurred in Lyme, Connecticut. Researchers considered several possible causes to outbreak, such as contact with germs in the water or air. However, their attention focused on the deer tick population as a probability once they realized that most of the affected children lived and/or played near wooded areas. Researchers discovered that the symptoms started during the height of tick season in the summer. Many of the children recalled seeing a rash before the arthritis started, and others remember being bitten by a tick at the site of the rash. By the mid 1970s, researchers started to associate these signs and symptoms with the disease, now called “Lyme Disease” to help physicians diagnose patients. However, it wasn’t until 1981 did researchers at Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Hamilton, Montana discover the connection between the deer tick and Lyme Disease.

Thesis Statement: “According to the Center of Disease Control, Lyme disease is the most commonly reported vector borne illness in the United States”(Lyme Disease: Data and statistics, 2016).

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

I chose to do my research paper on Lyme disease. During my research, I found a lot of interesting facts about Lyme disease. The disease is caused by bacteria, called Borrelia burgdorferi, which is only transmitted to humans when they are bitten by an infected tick. Lyme disease was first discovered in 1975, in Lyme, Connecticut, after a group of children were diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. This eventually led them to discover the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi. The disease was given its name in 1982, after the town of Lyme, Connecticut. According to Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Lyme disease is the most commonly reported vectorborne illness in the United States. In 2014, it was the fifth most common Nationally Notifiable disease. Lyme disease is most prevalent in the northeast and upper Midwest.

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.

Lyme disease is a spirochetal infection, which is transmitted by the bite of infected Ixodes ricinus complex ticks. It is brought about essentially by Borrelia burgdorferi in the United States. Lyme disease was initially perceived clinically in 1977 as "Lyme arthritis" amid investigations of a group of youngsters in Connecticut who were thought to have adolescent rheumatoid joint inflammation. The etiology of Lyme disease was found to be a spirochete in the mid - 1980s. The rate of Lyme disease and the geographic conveyance of cases in the United States have expanded consistently from that point forward (Beard, 2016).

If the disease is diagnosed at an early stage, anti-infections treatment is given for a duration of 14-21 days. Adults and children above 8 are recommended doxycycline, while cefuuroxime and amoxicillin are given to younger children and breast-feeding women. The infection can be totally eliminated if a person is treated at the early stage. If Lyme disease is persistent in a patient, then they will be treated with intravenous antibiotics. When the disease is treated at a later stage, the infection will be stopped, but the curing of the symptoms will happen at a slower rate. A patient left untreated could face problems with the nervous system, muscle and joints and the digestive system.

Lyme disease is caused by Borrelia Burdoferi and is the most common vector borne (caused by a tick) illness in United States. 329,000 cases occur every year in United States, according to the CDC in 2015 [1]. Lyme disease is more prevalent in north eastern states. It is also said that the disease is highly under reported, indicating that numbers might be higher than what is reported by the CDC. Of cases reported to the United States CDC, the ratio of Lyme disease infection is 7.9 cases for every 100,000 persons. There are 10 states in the U.S. where the Lyme disease prevalence is the highest and the average was 31.6 cases for every 100,000 persons for the year 2005 [2]. The problem is immense. Classic sign is that of a target lesion or a bull’s eye rash and other symptoms that an untreated case can include are migratory pain or arthritis, impaired motor and sensory skills and an enlarged heart. Early diagnosis is important in preventing late-stage complications. If left untreated, the disease can spread to joints, heart and nervous system.

Lyme is a bacteria spread by Zoonosis which occurs when an infectious disease, being embedded in the gut of an animal such as a rodent or queer squirrel, germinates another vector to be spread to other hosts. The disease can then be transferred from that animal to a tick such as a Deer Tick(North America). This tick is known as a vector and searches for a new, larger host. This can range from a deer(most prominent scenario) to even humans. Ticks must take in blood to survive. Ticks lodge themselves into a host 's skin and feed on their blood. While this is taking place the Borreliosis bacteria get in through the bloodstream and can spread to joints, the brain and even the heart.(Portal.mah.harvard.edu)

What is the first thing you think of when you hear Lyme disease? I asked my brother, just for fun, to see what his response would be, and his response was too good not to share. He said “Yeah, Lyme disease is when limes turn gross.” I can’t make this up! Sorry, Landon, not quite. Lyme disease is a rather increasing epidemic, not only in Iowa but also in great numbers on the east coast states. Throughout this paper, I will be discussing what Lyme disease is, the microbiology of Lyme disease, how one can get it, the typical signs and symptoms, typical treatments, and some epidemiology of this bacterial infection.

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).

In order to show how the disease is contracted, I would reference a map of the United States and review the most common areas for Lyme disease occurrence. I would proceed to discuss various outdoor activities, which would allow the students to understand that Lyme disease can be picked up during virtually any activity at the most