The Great Immitator: Lyme Disease

While reading An American Plague, I noticed an interesting detail that so many people were dying at the beginning of the fever according to Murphy (2003) “ On wednesday twelve more died; thirteen died on Thursday. Others besides the doctors were beginning to notice the illness. “ . I wonder if there was or is any way of preventing the fever from happening . According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) it states that you should beware of mosquitoes peaking hours from dusk to dawn . Also it states to use insect repellent with picaridin, IR3535, or oil of lemon eucalyptus on exposed skin . Also there is a vaccination from it , but the (CDC) recommends not getting that vaccination only if you are going where risk of the yellow

The Bubonic Plague hit Michigan, one person being infected by the disease, but it was assumed that, since he visited an area in the US which gets hit by the plague often, he did not catch it from anyone in Michigan. According to the article, a few other cases in Western and Southwestern states have appeared. However, the disease has only killed two people in the past few years, and is easily repelled with antibiotics and other treatments.

In the CNN article, “Bubonic plague reported in Michigan,” author Greg Botelho tells about how their is another case of the plague. This case has been the only reported case that wasn’t in the west. All other cases had been in the western states, particularly in Colorado, where the most of the recent outbreaks have been. Though, the person in Michigan probably didn’t catch the disease in Michigan, because they had just gotten back from a trip to Colorado. But, it is not for certain that this is the case.

Each year, about 30,000 cases of Lyme disease are reported to CDC by state health departments and the District of Columbia. Could you imagine what the number would be if everyone knew their symptoms and reported it? Lyme disease is preventable, but you have to take the steps to protect your pet and yourself. There are many ways to protect yourself against ticks such as using insect repellant, wearing long sleeves and pants, and wear light-colored clothing to be able to see a tick. More importantly, if you spot a tick latched onto you, immediately remove it tweezers grasping the tick closely by the skin, and pull it straight out. (https://lymediseaseassociation.org/about-lyme/pet-spot ) Frontline has a Seresto neckline that https://lymediseaseassociation.org/about-lyme/prevention

What is Lyme disease, and why is it important? Lyme disease is a tick-borne disease created by bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. “The infection is primarily transmitted by Ixodes ticks, also known as deer ticks, and on the West Coast, black-legged ticks” (Lymedisease.org). It’s hard to identify the ticks because of their tiny size, similar to a poppy seed. To make that exact the female adult deer tick is about 2.7 mm in length, and the male is smaller than that (tickencounter.org). The size makes it even more difficult to feel or find a bite from the tick. However, the consequences can be very serious, sometimes even fatal (cdc.gov). Lyme disease is a serious public health in the United States that is overlooked.

Lyme’s disease is a disease that is transmitted to humans when an infected tick bites the human’s skin. According to Lymedisease.org, “Symptoms of early Lyme disease may present as a flu-like illness (fever, chills, sweats, muscle aches, fatigue, nausea and joint pain). Some patients have a rash or Bell’s palsy (facial drooping). However, although a rash shaped like a bull’s-eye is considered characteristic of Lyme disease, many people develop a different kind of Lyme rash or none at all.” Lyme disease can be difficult to diagnose because its symptoms mimic so many other disorders, especially if a rash is not present. Lymedisease.org, also reports that only “42% of cases had a rash”. Furthermore, lymedisease.org goes on to report that, “Many Lyme symptoms, such as fatigue, cognitive impairment, joint pain, poor sleep, mood problems, muscle pain, and neurological presentations also occur in other diseases. Hence, the symptoms of Lyme disease significantly overlap those of chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, ALS, depression and Alzheimer’s disease. Many Lyme patients report being misdiagnosed with a different condition before being properly diagnosed with Lyme disease.”

First off, the backstory behind Lyme’s Disease isn’t very much known to us. It’s suggested it was a disease that simply does not harm a tick, but is instead carried by it, such as the disease towards bats in Maquoketa Caves. Lyme’s

Made of a canvas outer garment coated in wax, as well as waxed leather pants, gloves, boots and hat. A dark leather hood and mask with a very grotesque curved beak (Jackie Rosenhek, 2011). A serial killer, Halloween costume perhaps or a cosplay outfit for a horror movie? No, a doctor actually is what this outfit was meant for. Doctors wore this attire in the medieval times in order to protect themselves from the bubonic plague. We 've all heard of the bubonic plague in our history classes. We know the numbers and effects and how deadly it was. However the bubonic plague is still on the hunt and loose. Yes, numbers in outbreaks of the bubonic plague have doubled since 2014. There have been very few, but a pathogen such as the Black Death is not to be taken lightly.

The Bubonic Plague, often acknowledged as the worst epidemic in the history of Europe, also known as the Black Death, the Black Plague, and the Pestilence, the worst time was 1348-1350. By the end of 1350, according to Zarlengo, almost three fourths of the population had been decimated. Today the Pestilence has an antibiotic cure and since rats and fleas are kept at a low and are not shipped from one place to another, we have less of a chance of getting it again. However, at that point there was no cure and people died by the hundreds.

In the United States, the genuine name of the bacterium is Borrelia burgdorferi. In Europe, the bacteria Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii also cause Lyme disease. Symptoms include bull’s eye rash and neurological symptoms. Lyme disease is transmitted by these ticks when they nip the skin, which allows the bacterium to taint the body. Lyme disease is a tick-borne disease (Tortora, Funke & Case, 2004). The single vector for Lyme disease in the United States is the deer tick called Ixodes scapularis. These ticks are transporters of the Lyme disease bacterium in their abdomens. A two-step system when testing blood for confirmation of antibodies against the Lyme disease bacteria is recommendation. The two steps of Lyme disease testing are aimed to be done together. Doxycycline or amoxicillin are the antibiotics typically used for oral treatment. Patients with specific neurological or cardiac forms of illness may need intravenous treatment with drugs such as ceftriaxone or penicillin. Nursing interventions include protecting the patient from sensory overload and redirect patient as

One of the most devastating event in human history, the Bubonic Plague or more commonly known as the Black Death is a deadly disease that killed half of the world’s population spreading from China to Europe from 1347 through 1353. “Civilization both in the East and the West was visited by a destructive plague which devastated nations and caused populations to vanish…. The entire inhabited world changed.” Ibn Khaldun, a Muslim historian and how he described the plague. Although infected with the same illness, the East and the West had a different perspective towards the disease, but how different were the East and West response towards the disease?

The American Plague, Molly Caldwell Crosby’s nonfiction novel, accounts the journey of yellow fever from an African virus to the remarkably deadly epidemic that shaped American history in an often overlooked way. Crosby’s novel aims to give insight to the historical impact of yellow fever in the Americas, especially the United States. The novel guides through the history of the titular “American Plague”, yellow fever, in three main parts: its height epidemic in the United States, specifically in Memphis, the Commission to find the cause and vaccine for it, in Cuba, and the effects and presence the epidemic has in the present.

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 disease, also known as Lyme borreliosis, is an infectious disease caused by bacteria of the Borrelia type.[1] The most common sign of infection is an expanding area of redness, known as erythema migrans, that begins at the site of a tick bite about a week after it has occurred. The rash is typically neither itchy nor painful. About 25% of people do not develop a rash. Other early symptoms may include fever, headache, and feeling tired. If untreated, symptoms may include loss of the ability to move one or both sides of the face, joint pains, severe headaches with neck stiffness, or heart palpitations, among others. Months to years later, repeated episodes of joint pain and swelling may occur. Occasionally, people develop shooting pains or tingling in their arms and legs. Despite appropriate treatment, about 10 to 20% of people also develop joint pains, have memory problems, and feel tired much of the time.[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.