How is Lymdisease spread from person to person?

Answer 1

Lyme disease or Lyme borreliosis is the most common tick-borne disease in North America and Europe, and the fastest-growing infectious disease in the United States. It is named after the town of Lyme, Connecticut where a cluster of cases was identified in 1977, although clinical features of the disease had been described in Europe as early as 1909. Lyme disease has now been reported in 49 of 50 states in the U.S, and on every continent except Antarctica. The cause of Lyme disease is a bacterial infection with a spirochete from the species complex Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, which is most often acquired from the bite of an infected Ixodes tick. Borrelia burgdorferi was first identified in 1982 by Willy Burgdorfer, a tick-borne disease expert at the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases' Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Hamilton, Montana. While Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto is the predominant cause in the U.S., Lyme disease in Europe is more often caused by Borrelia afzelii or Borrelia garinii.

The disease varies widely in its presentation, which may include a rash and flu-like symptoms in its initial stage, followed by musculoskeletal, arthritic, neurologic, psychiatric and/or cardiac manifestations. Early detection and prompt antibiotic treatment most often result in an excellent prognosis. However early detection is difficult when the characteristic rash is not present, and even those who are diagnosed and treated early may remain symptomatic.

Delayed or inadequate treatment may often lead to late stage Lyme that is disabling and difficult to treat. Amid great controversy over diagnosis, testing and treatment, two different standards of care for Lyme disease have emerged.

Answer 2

How is Lyme disease transmitted?
Not all deer ticks are infected with the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. Ticks can become infected if they feed on small animals that are infected. The disease can be spread when an infected tick bites a person and stays attached for a period of time. In most cases, the tick must be attached for 36 hours or more before the bacteria can be transmitted. Lyme disease does not spread from one person to another. Transfer of the bacteria from an infected pregnant woman to the fetus is extremely rare.

http://www.health.state.ny.us/diseases/communicable/lyme/fact_sheet.htm

Answer 3

Mice and deer are the most commonly infected animals that serve as host to the tick. Most infections occur in the late spring, summer, and early fall.
Lyme disease is a tick-transmitted infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi. Symptoms include an erythema migrans rash, which may be followed weeks to months later by neurologic, cardiac, or joint abnormalities. Diagnosis is primarily clinical, but acute and convalescent antibody titers may be helpful. Treatment is with antibiotics such as doxycycline or, for serious infections, ceftriaxone.
Please see the web pages for more details on Lyme disease.

Answer 4

Body fluid e.g. transfusion, blood sucking.