Interesting facts on lyme disease?

Answer 1

The Lyme disease bacterium can infect several parts of the body, producing different symptoms at different times. Not all patients with Lyme disease will have all symptoms, and many of the symptoms can occur with other diseases as well. If you believe you may have Lyme disease, it is important that you consult your health care provider for proper diagnosis.

The first sign of infection is usually a circular rash called erythema migrans or EM. This rash occurs in approximately 70-80% of infected persons and begins at the site of a tick bite after a delay of 3-30 days. A distinctive feature of the rash is that it gradually expands over a period of several days, reaching up to 12 inches (30 cm) across. The center of the rash may clear as it enlarges, resulting in a bull’s-eye appearance. It may be warm but is not usually painful. Some patients develop additional EM lesions in other areas of the body after several days. Patients also experience symptoms of fatigue, chills, fever, headache, and muscle and joint aches, and swollen lymph nodes. In some cases, these may be the only symptoms of infection.

Untreated, the infection may spread to other parts of the body within a few days to weeks, producing an array of discrete symptoms. These include loss of muscle tone on one or both sides of the face (called facial or “Bell’s palsy), severe headaches and neck stiffness due to meningitis, shooting pains that may interfere with sleep, heart palpitations and dizziness due to changes in heartbeat, and pain that moves from joint to joint. Many of these symptoms will resolve, even without treatment.

After several months, approximately 60% of patients with untreated infection will begin to have intermittent bouts of arthritis, with severe joint pain and swelling. Large joints are most often effected, particularly the knees. In addition, up to 5% of untreated patients may develop chronic neurological complaints months to years after infection. These include shooting pains, numbness or tingling in the hands or feet, and problems with concentration and short term memory.

Most cases of Lyme disease can be cured with antibiotics, especially if treatment is begun early in the course of illness. However, a small percentage of patients with Lyme disease have symptoms that last months to years after treatment with antibiotics. These symptoms can include muscle and joint pains, arthritis, cognitive defects, sleep disturbance, or fatigue. The cause of these symptoms is not known. There is some evidence that they result from an autoimmune response, in which a person’s immune system continues to respond even after the infection has been cleared.

B burgdorferi bacteria cause Lyme disease. The bacteria have a complex life cycle, spending part of its life in the deer tick and in some mammals such as mice and deer.

Humans are not a part of the bacterium's life cycle but can become infected when bitten by the tick.

Answer 2

One signal of Lyme ailment is a circular, pink rash that spreads on the website of a tick chunk. This rash can get very massive. Flu-like signs also are very traditional. People within the early levels of Lyme ailment might think very worn out and feature complications, sore muscle groups and joints, and a fever. These signs can begin at any time, from three days as much as a month after getting been bitten. Some humans should not have any signs whilst they're within the early levels of Lyme ailment. And they won't even don't forget getting a tick chunk. If Lyme ailment is going untreated, you'll be able to have extra severe signs through the years. These incorporate: Swelling and joint ache (like arthritis). Tingling and numbness to your arms, ft, and again. A loss of power that doesn't get larger. Trouble focusing your ideas. Poor reminiscence. Weakness or paralysis to your face muscle groups.

Answer 3

Founded by a mother in Lyme, Ct. He daughter was diagnosed with Juvenille Arthritis due to the swelling of her joints and fever and she aslo had a particular rash at the time. The funny thing about it is that JA is a rare disease. The mother doing some chatting with neighbors found out that 5 other children in the neighborhood who all play in the same woods were also Dx with JA. She was smart enough to contact the state department as well as the CDC, hence it was discovered that there was a bacteria isolated from all the children.

Answer 4

WHO GETS LYME DISEASE AND WHEN?

The Centers for Diseases Control (CDC) is now reporting nearly 18,000 cases of Lyme disease annually in the US, and the yearly numbers have increased 25-fold since it was first reported in 1982. Lyme disease is now the most common vector-borne disease in America. (Vector-borne infections are those that are transmitted by insects.)
General Risk Factors

Anyone exposed to ticks is at risk for Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases. Pets are also at risk. Naturally, anyone who is regularly outside in areas where tick rates are high has a greater than average risk for becoming infected.

Age. In the US the highest reported incidence of Lyme disease occurs among children five to nine years old and adults 50 to 59 years old.

Gender. The reported incidence is higher for females than for males. The gender discrepancy may be attributable to increases in the following:

* Exposure to infected ticks.

* Less use of personal protective measures.

* Men may tend to report symptoms less often than women.

The Risk for Lyme Disease after A Tick Bite

In general, the actual risk for developing Lyme disease after a tick bite is only between 1.1% and 3.4%. The risk varies depending on different factors:

The longer the tick has fed the greater the risk. In fact, in one study, no individuals developed Lyme after being bitten by a nymph tick for less than 72 hours. In those on whom the tick had been feeding for longer than that, the risk was 25%.

Nymph ticks carry a greater risk than adult ticks, probably because they are often too small to be detected (about the size of a pinhead). In addition, only nymph ticks that are at least partially swollen when removed pose any significant risk. (This suggests that they have feeding for a prolonged period.)
Geographic Locations

Locations in the US. Lyme disease has been reported in 48 states and in the District of Columbia. However, nearly all of Lyme disease cases are concentrated in three regions:

* In northeastern states from Maine to Maryland. New York has had the highest number of total cases to date followed by Connecticut, which actually has the highest number of infected patients per total population. (Pennsylvania and New Jersey have the next highest infection rates.)

* Two north-central states (Minnesota and Wisconsin).

* In the northwest (California and Oregon).

In such areas, between 1% and 3% of people who live there become infected at some time.

One interesting report found that the blood of the Western fence lizard contains a chemical that destroys B. burgdorferi, the Lyme disease spirochete. The presence of this lizard may help explain the low incidence of Lyme disease in the West. Experts differ on whether Lyme disease exists with any significance in the southern United States. A Lyme-like disease has been reported in the South (Mississippi, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Texas), which apparently responds to antibiotics (as Lyme does). Researchers have also identified spirochetes on Long Star ticks that appear to belong to the Borrelia family. Studies are underway to determine the exact nature and extent of this condition.

Worldwide Locations. Pockets of Lyme disease exist around the world. The disease is common in Europe, particularly in forested areas of middle Europe and Scandinavia. The Borrelia family is also responsible for tick infections in Europe, but different subspecies (B. garinii and B. afzelii) may be more common there and cause slightly different symptoms. The infection has also been reported in Russia, China, and Japan.
High-Risk Landscapes

One analysis suggested the risk for Lyme disease exposure is highest in wet, green area and lower in areas with lawns or low vegetation. But the disease is not limited to rural settings; it is becoming increasingly common in suburban areas. Beaches are also home to ticks.
Time of Year

The time of year of highest risk depends on the geographical region.

Northeast and North Central US. In the northeastern and north central US, most cases of Lyme disease are reported from May through August, with July being the peak month.

Exceptions may occur in years of warm winters and wet springs, which can bring the deer tick nymphs out about two weeks earlier. This same climate also creates the wet, green environment that increases the prevalence of ticks. Global warming may, in fact, be partially responsible for the increase in Lyme disease.

Noncoastal Western States. In the noncoastal western US, the disease most often occurs between January and May.

West Coast. The risk is higher on the West Coast between November and April.