Tick-borne disease – Ramanisblog

As we advance diseases also advance.

Common symptoms seem to lead to more diseases making the process of elimination that much tough.

Lyme disease, or Lyme borreliosis, is an emerging infectious disease caused by at least three species of bacteria belonging to the genus Borrelia.Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto^[4] is the main cause of Lyme disease in the United States, whereas Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii cause mostEuropean cases. The disease is named after the town of Lyme, Connecticut, USA, where a number of cases were identified in 1975. Although Allen Steererealized that Lyme disease was a tick-borne disease in 1978, the cause of the disease remained a mystery until 1981, when B. burgdorferi was identified by Willy Burgdorfer.

Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in the Northern Hemisphere. Borrelia is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected ticks belonging to a few species of the genus Ixodes (“hard ticks”).Early symptoms may include fever, headache, fatigue, depression, and a characteristic circular skin rash called erythema migrans. Left untreated, later symptoms may involve the joints, heart, and central nervous system. In most cases, the infection and its symptoms are eliminated by antibiotics, especially if the illness is treated early. Delayed or inadequate treatment can lead to the more serious symptoms, which can be disabling and difficult to treat. Lyme disease is a biosafety level 2 disease.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyme_disease

Lyme disease is caused by bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi ( B. burgdorferi) . Blacklegged ticks carry these bacteria. The ticks pick up the bacteria when they bite mice or deer that are infected with Lyme disease. You can get the disease if you are bitten by an infected tick.

Lyme disease was first reported in the United States in the town of Old Lyme, Connecticut, in 1975. In the United States, most Lyme disease infections occur in the following areas:

Northeastern states, from Virginia to Maine
North-central states, mostly in Wisconsin and Minnesota
West Coast, particularly northern California

There are 3 stages of Lyme disease. (See below for symptoms.)

Stage 1 is called early localized Lyme disease. The infection is not yet widespread throughout the body.
Stage 2 is called early disseminated Lyme disease. The bacteria have begun to spread throughout the body.
Stage 3 is called late disseminated Lyme disease. The bacteria have spread throughout the body.

Risk factors for Lyme disease include:

Doing outside activities that increase tick exposure (for example, gardening, hunting, or hiking) in an area where Lyme disease is known to occur
Having a pet that may carry ticks home
Walking in high grasses

Important facts about tick bites and Lyme disease:

In most cases, a tick must be attached to your body for 24 – 36 hours to spread the bacteria to your blood.
Blacklegged ticks can be so small that they are almost impossible to see. Many people with Lyme disease never even saw a tick on their body.
Most people who are bitten by a tick do not get Lyme disease.

Back to Top Symptoms »

Symptoms of early localized Lyme disease (Stage 1) begin days or weeks after infection. They are similar to the flu and may include:

Body-wide itching
Chills
Fever
General ill-feeling
Headache
Light-headedness or fainting
Muscle pain
Stiff neck

There may be a “bull’s eye” rash, a flat or slightly raised red spot at the site of the tick bite. Often there is a clear area in the center. It can be quite large and expanding in size.

Symptoms may come and go. Untreated, Lyme disease can spread to the brain, heart, and joints.

Symptoms of early disseminated Lyme disease (Stage 2) may occur weeks to months after the initial tick bite. They may include:

Paralysis or weakness in the muscles of the face
Muscle pain and pain or swelling in the knees and other large joints
Heart problems, such as skipped heartbeats (palpitations)

Symptoms of late disseminated Lyme disease (Stage 3) can occur months or years after the initial infection. The most common symptoms are muscle and joint pain. Other symptoms may include: