Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is a bacterial disease transmitted mainly through tick bite. The illness is also called borreliosis and spirochete
bacteria from the genus Borrelia are the main cause. Lyme disease comes from a range of deer ticks or blacklegged ticks like Borrelia burgdorferi, Ixodes dammini, Amblyomma americanum, Ixodes scapularis and many more. Both man and animal can acquire the disease. There are at le
ast 37 Borrelia species while 12 are related to the condition.
In the United States, Lyme disease is the top infectious disease in terms of spread rate. Out of every 100,000 individuals, 7.9 have Lyme disease. 49 states also report having cases of the disease. Other countries like Canada, the United Kingdom and other European nations also have L
yme disease as the most common tick-borne illness. The type of tick also varies depending on the geographical region. Other animal species like flies, mosquitoes, fleas and lizards are also suggested to successfully transmit Lyme disease to human beings.
The Tick Types
Borrelia burgdorferi is the most prevalent type of tick found in deer and the white-tailed mouse. Borrelia afzelii is found in rodents like rats and is more common in Europe. Borrelia garinii and Borrelia valaisiana are found in birds. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto are found both i
n rodents and birds and are common in Colombia and Bolivia. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato are found in lizards and are common in Germany, Poland, England and Japan. The genus Ixodes is also highly associated with Lyme disease. Ixodes dammini is the most common in the United States found in grassy and woody places.
The most common tick types go through three life stages namely: larva, nymph and adult. It takes around two years and three different hosts during the entire process. The tick feeds once during each life stage on rats, dogs, deer, cows and even human beings. The nymph stage is regar
ded as the part wherein Lyme disease is transmitted. Ticks are usually found on the head, neck, toes and armpits where there is enough moisture and warmth.
The Early Symptoms
About 80% of Lyme disease incidences are characterized by a rash or lesion that looks like a bull’s-eye. The pattern is called erythema migrans which develops anywhere from a few days to a few weeks after bei
ng bitten by an infected tick. Tick bite is almost unnoticeable since it is painless. The rash can appear like a growing red ring, a bull’s-eye with a light ring surrounded by a dark one or fully red and round. The insect bite is the cardinal sign of Lyme disease but is sometimes hard to diagnose since the bacteria needs to be magnified 400 times to be detected.
Together with the rash, other symptoms indicative
of flu like sore throat, muscle pain, fatigue and headache may also appear. It is possible to get flu-like symptoms without the presenc
e of a rash and vice-versa. Incubation period lasts around 1 or 2 weeks while it is also possible for it to delay up to several years before symptoms appear. Uncommon symptoms include palpitations, heart b
lock and altered mental state (neuroborreliosis).
The Late Symptoms
Untreated early symptoms can last for a few months up to several years then may disappear. Complications and late symptoms will then follow which are more severe and long lasting. Common chronic symptoms
are muscle and joint pain and neurological symptoms like burning and tingling sensation in the extremities, meningitis, depression and fatigue.
Meningoencephalitis, myocarditis and frank arth
ritis are common manifestations in chronic Lyme disease. Other organs like the lungs, heart and stomach may also be affected. Chronic Lyme disease can be misdiagnosed at times because the symptoms are similar to several other known illnesses.
Other neurological and neuropsychiatric symptoms due to swelling and increased pressure in the brain can also manifest like muscle twitching, paresthesia, memory less, difficulty sleeping and changes in
affect or mood. Other neurological problems can develop like encephalitis, encephalomyelitis and Bell’s palsy.
The affected person may also present problems in sexuality like breast or testicular pain, sexual dysfunction and loss of libido। Other related symptoms may also arise like sudden weight gain or loss, swollen lymph nodes, high fever or chills, hypersensitivity to alcohol, eye and kidney i
nfection and photosensitivity.
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