Symptoms And Treatment Of Lyme Disease

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

Ticks, they are most significant vectors of infectious diseases in the United States. These arachnids can host a scary medley of infectious bacterium, and they are increasing at an alarming rate with one CDC graph showing their numbers have almost tripled since 1995 (Lyme Stats). Some point to greater awareness, other point to climate change, while we don’t know exactly why their reach is growing we do know we have to be wary of the diseases they carry. While not all ticks are hosts, ticks carrying the Borrelia bacteria known for causing Lyme disease present a massive public health risk. Lyme is one most under researched Infectious diseases with the CDC estimating that somewhere between 300,000 and 3,000,000 people are infected annual.

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.

2009, Institut National de Santé Publique du Quebec 2014), a phenomenon largely attributed to the to the range expansion of the Lyme disease vector, the black-legged tick (Ixodes scapularis (Say)) into the country (Ogden et al. 2008). The number of known and suspected established black-legged tick populations in Canada has increased substantially from one at Long Point, Ontario in the 1990s (Ogden et al. 2009), to the numerous populations now found across five Canadian provinces (Ogden et al. 2014). This rapid range expansion of black-legged tick has been credited to several factors, including climate change (Ogden et al. 2006) and shifting ranges of common black-legged tick hosts (Madhav et al.

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

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

Lyme disease is most commonly transmitted to humans by black legged deer ticks that carry a spirochete called Borrelia burgdorferi (Kruger, p. 23, 2010). Spirochete are a type of bacteria which have surrounding filaments attached to their cell walls that help propel it through aqueous environments (Porth, p.302, 2015). Deer ticks can only pass it on if they have fed from an infected host such as small mammals, like mice and squirrels, however, when the tick matures into adult, it prefers the white tailed deer as a host (Kruger, p.23, 2010). The deer themselves do not carry the disease, however they play an important role in the spread of this spirochete. The deer tick only infects it’s host with the Borrelia burgdorferi at the end of a

Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States. Despite this, adequate prevention is lacking and treatment measures are sometimes inadequate. Vaccinations for Lyme disease developed in the late 1990’s have since been withdrawn from the market, and research is currently underway to create a new vaccine. Educational programs have proven to show an increase in protective behaviors to prevent tick bites and tick-borne illnesses through increased knowledge of repellent use, methods for checking ticks after potential exposure, and proper attire to be worn when engaging in outdoor activities. However, there is only a slight effect on subsequent development of Lyme disease with such educational programs. Prophylactic antibiotics given after a bite from an Ixodes tick has shown to be effective and is supported by research as an acceptable prevention strategy in areas endemic to Lyme disease. Treatment of acute Lyme disease with antibiotics for ten days is often sufficient according to research, but often is prolonged more than necessary by many practitioners. Treatment of late Lyme disease and its sequelae remains controversial, with conflicting evidence about length of antibiotic use and retreatment with antibiotics after prior treatment failure.

Although most people don't realize it, one of the most weakening diseases can be found in your very backyard. This disease is called Lyme disease Lymes disease have been spreading around the United States at a very fast pace, there is only one way that you can get this disease. The disease is caused by something that is called bacterium Borrelia Burgdorferi which is transmitted through the bite of infected ticks. Anyone can get this disease, although it is very uncommon that someone will get this disease. Lymes disease is actually a very interesting disease, Only 1.4% of ticks are infected with lymes disease, the only way that someone can get this disease is from an infected tick. it is not very likely that someone will get this disease, but

Lyme disease is caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi, which is transmitted by Ixodes dammini, otherwise known as the deer tick3. B. burgdorferi lives in the midgut of the deer tick, and becomes active after a tick’s gut is filled with warm blood from a host. Ticks are only able to transmit B. burgdorferi after they have been attached and taken a “blood meal” from the host. B. burgdorferi passes from the mid gut to the salivary glands where it can exit in the tick’s saliva and into the host’s blood. According to an UpToDate article by Dr. Linden Hu, I dammini must be attached to a host for greater than 36 hours for B. burgdorferi to be able to be activated into the host16. Therefore, any deer tick that is not attached to a host cannot transmit B. burgdorferi.

Lyme disease is caused by the spirochete bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted to mammals and humans through the bite of infected ticks. Symptoms of infection include fever, headache, fatigue, and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans. If left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the nervous system causing irreversible damage. Lyme disease is diagnosed based on symptoms, physical findings for instance the stereotypical bulls eye rash and the possibility of exposure to infected ticks. Laboratory testing is helpful if used correctly and performed with validated methods. Most cases of Lyme disease can be treated successfully with a few weeks of antibiotics. Steps to prevent Lyme disease include using

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).

Lyme Disease is a bacterial infection primarily transmitted by lxodes ticks or deer ticks. The disease is caused by a bacterium called Borrelia burgdoferi. Lyme is named “The Great Imitator,” as its symptoms mimic other disease that affect the brain and nervous system, muscles and joints, and the heart.

People living in the Northeast area with high incidence need to have an adequate level of susceptibility. Recognizing risky environments need to be followed by various type of precautions. Lyme disease is a zoonotic disease that can cause a range of symptoms including rash, joint pain, neurological and cardiac manifestation. Knowing the complications and the severity of Lyme disease, people would then be more proactive in implementing preventive measurements. The CDC recommends clothing attire be long pants and socks, light colored clothes when outdoors. The simplest method to prevent Lyme disease is to avoid having contact with ticks when traveling to Ixodes tick infested areas. That can be accomplished by avoiding predisposed areas during

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).