LYME DISEASE

Lyme Disease

Table of Contents

Introduction3

Discussion3

Causes and Risk Factors4

Physiology of Lyme disease5

Organism Spread of the Lyme Disease6

Symptoms of Lyme Disease6

Analysis and Test7

Treatment7

Prognosis for Lyme Disease8

Conclusion9

References10

Lyme Disease

Introduction

Lyme disease is an acute inflammatory disease characterized by skin changes, coupled with symptoms, caused by bacteria and transmitted by the bite of an infected deer tick or rat. People of any age can suffer from Lyme disease. Usually during the summer, people who move for work or for recreational activities come into contact with infected ticks. Dogs and horses are also known to contract Lyme disease (Allen, et al, 1983).

Discussion

Lyme disease is the infectious disease which mainly affects the skin, nervous system, cardiovascular system and musculoskeletal system, prone to long-term trend. Lyme disease can occur at any age, but mostly it occurs in children under 15 and adults aged 25-44 years. Reservoir and source of Lyme disease include many domestic and wild vertebrate animals and birds (mainly various species of wild rodents, white-tailed deer, moose, etc.). Immunity after non-persistent Lyme disease can be expected after a few years of recovery. However, a possibility of re-infection is always present (Allen, 2001).

Causes and Risk Factors

Lyme disease is caused by bacteria, which are a type of spirochete. The exact name of this spirochete is Borelli burgdorferi. This bacterium has a complex life cycle, as it is part of the digestive system of some species of ticks in some mammals such as mice and deer. Man is not a part of life cycle, but can become infected when bitten by infected ticks. Ticks transmit the infection to their own offspring, and thus form a natural outbreak of infection. The natural habitats, which are responsible for the spread of the disease, are mainly found in rain forests with heights up to 2000m (Allen, 2001).

Figure 1

In 1975, Lyme disease was first described in the town of Lyme. Since then, cases have been reported in many other places. It is endemic in many parts of the world. The deer and rats, which serve as host to the ticks, are most commonly infected animals, but pets are also involved in the breeding cycle of ticks. In the nymph stage, the risk of transmission of the infectious disease to man is more because its location is in hairy areas which may go unnoticed. Most infections occur in summer. When an infected individual is a carrier of lice, they can be infected through the blood, making them carriers of the disease to others. Transmission by blood, saliva or other secretions has been dismissed. This disease is difficult to diagnose because its symptoms mimic other illnesses. It first appears in the bite area, although the bite may go unnoticed. A few months later, there is a muscle paralysis accompanied by joint inflammation, neurological symptoms and sometimes cardiac abnormalities. The initial infection is called primary Lyme disease. (Allen, 2001).

Physiology of Lyme disease

The incubation period of Lyme disease varies from 1 to 50 days, averaging 10-12 days. The physiology of Lyme disease is based on 3 ...