Introduction
Lyme disease is also called lyme borrelia or borreliosis. It is a parasitic infection that is caused by tick bites. Not all ticks are responsible for its transmission, but only infected blacklegged ticks (deer ticks). They harbour a parasitic micro-organism that is known as Borrelia burgdorferi.
Key Facts & Statistics
What are the key facts and statistics about Lyme disease?
Every year, there are almost 30,000 cases of Lyme disease that are reported in the US.
Borreliosis was first identified in Lyme, Connecticut and two other neighbouring towns.
It was in 1975. Most children received a juvenile rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis. Research was then conducted which attributed the outbreak of arthritis to bites from infected deer ticks.
Risk Factors
What are the risk factors for Lyme disease?
- Season of the year. There is higher risk of infection during summer, spring and fall seasons.
- Habitat. Ticks (that carry borreliosis parasites) are known to live woody or shrubby areas.
- Region. Deer ticks that transmit microbes that cause Lyme disease are mostly found in the Pacific coast (northern California) and south-eastern Canada.
Causes
What are the causes of Lyme disease?
- Lyme disease is caused by a parasitic micro-organism called Borrelia burgdorferi.
- It is carried by infected deer ticks, which transmit it to healthy human beings through tick bites.
- Ordinary ticks such as wood ticks do not harbour the parasite.
Stages
What are the stages of Lyme disease?
There are three phases of Lyme disease. These are:
- Early localized Lyme disease. This phase takes 1-4 weeks.
- Early disseminated Lyme disease. It takes 1-4 months.
- Late disseminated Lyme disease. After 4 months, it can take even years.
Signs & Symptoms
What are the signs ad symptoms of Lyme disease?
Early LD signs and symptoms;
- A reddish rash or skin lesion (erythema migraines).
- Stiff neck.
- Extreme tiredness (fatigue).
- Swollen lymph nodes.
- Body pains.
- Joint aches.
- Fever.
- Headache.
Early disseminated Lyme disease signs and symptoms:
- Bell’s palsy.
- Heart block.
- Muscle weakness on one or both sides of the face.
- Neck pain.
- Regions of numbness (neuropathy).
- Several areas covered by rash.
Late disseminated Lyme disease signs and symptoms:
- Recurring episodes of joint swelling (arthritis).
- Difficulty concentrating (brain fog).
- Polyneuropathy (nerves all over the body are affected and damaged).
Diagnostic Procedures & Tests
How is Lyme disease diagnosed?
- Review patient signs and symptoms.
- Physical findings such as a rash
- Blood tests. An individual must have two positive (or sometimes equivocal) test results so as to be diagnosed with Lyme disease.
Treatment and Management
How is Lyme disease treated?
- Lyme disease can effectively be treated using antibiotics such as amoxicillin or doxycycline.
- The stage in which the disease had reached dictates how long the treatment will take.
In case a person is bitten by a tick, the following are dos and don’ts:
- Gently but firmly tug the head of the tick using blunt tweezers at the level of the skin until it lets go of its hold on your skin.
- Do not handle or crush the tick with bare fingers.
- Thoroughly clean the bite area by washing using soap and clean water.
- Do not squeeze the tick between the fingers. Neither should you use tweezers.
Complications
What are the complications of Lyme disease?
- Arthritis.
- Constant and frequent tiredness.
Prevention
How do we prevent Lyme disease?
- Avoiding living near wooded or bushy regions, where ticks can live.
- Apply tick repellants.
- Put on long-sleeved shirts and long trousers, and add on a pair of socks.
- Check yourself, children and pets for ticks and carefully get rid of any that could be found.
- Take showers using soap and clean water.
- Air your clothes in the sunlight at high temperatures.