LYME DISEASEAJAY RAO

RED

Causes• It is caused by deer ticks when they bite a mammal. Not

all deer ticks carry Lyme disease but some do.• Fortunately, less than 5% of tick bites in a high contact

area carry “Borrelia Burgdorferi”(bacteria that causes Lyme disease).

• The bacteria spends part of its time in the deer tick, but when the deer tick bites the mammal, the bacteria travels.

Symptoms• 1st symptom of Lyme disease is a small red bull’s eye rash

called “Erythema Migrans.”• Some symptoms include: fatigue, fever, aching muscles or

other joints, chills, stiff neck, swollen glands, and headaches.

• Stage 2 of Lyme disease is called “Chronic Lyme.”• Symptoms from Chronic Lyme vary from different

complaints• If the brain and CNS (Central Nervous System) are

affected, different symptoms may occur.• Some of those symptoms are: dizziness, poor memory,

poor sleep, confusion, lack of concentration, and others.

Transmission/Prevention• (Deer) ticks attach itself onto victims when they are

walking through the area where the tick is.• The (Deer) tick latches on with it’s legs and it sticks onto

you.• Lyme disease can easily be prevented.• Some ways to prevent it is to apply bug repellent, spend

less time in grassy areas, and wear proper clothing.• Proper clothing includes wearing your pants tucked into

white socks so you can see the (Deer) tick, and long-sleeved clothes so (Deer) ticks can’t bite you.

Epidemiology

• Lyme disease was first discovered in Lyme, Connecticut.• There, 39 kids developed crazy, arthritic-like symptoms.• Over the years, changes in land increased the contact

between deer, ticks, and mice.• Now, deer and white-footed mice can carry Lyme disease.• In the early 1980’s, the spirochete of Lyme disease was

cultured and isolated.• CT, RI, NY, NJ, PA, MD, WI, MH had 92% of all the

reported cases of Lyme disease in the 48 states it has been reported in.

• 1983 was the 1st reported case of Lyme disease.

Infected Ticks That Carry Lyme Disease

Treatments• During the early stages of Lyme disease, oral antibiotics is

the standard treatment.• The drug “Doxycycline” is for adults and kids over 8 years

of age for treatment of Lyme disease.• “Amoxicillin” or “cefuroxime” is the drug for younger children

and pregnant women.• The drug will clear the infection without any unnecessary

complications.• The normal period of taking the antibiotics is 14-21 days but

10-14 days also work just as good.• If the disease has progressed, doctors recommend

intravenous antibiotics which should be taken from 14-28 days.

Sources• http://www.lymediseaseblog.com/lyme-disease-symptoms

/• http://

www.emedicinehealth.com/lyme_disease/article_em.htm• http://www.a1trails.com/outdoor/lyme/html• http://www.brown.edu/Courses/Bio_160/Projects1999/lym

e/background• http://

www.brown.edu/Courses/Bio_160/Projects2005/lyme_disease/history

• http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/lyme disease/DS00116/DSECTION=treatments-and-drugs

• http://www.google.images.com