Lymes

Lyme disease is also called as borreliosis.



It is an infectious disease which is caused by three species of bacteria Borrelia. The three species of Borrelia are Borrelia burgdorferi, Borrelia afzelii, and Borrelia garinii. Lyme disease is a tick borne disease that is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected hard ticks that belong to the genus Ixodes.



Early symptoms of infection involve fever, depression, fatigue, depression and skin rash called erythema migrans. If this infection is left untreated, it can affect the heart, nervous system and the joints. These symptoms can be treated well with the help of medication, antibiotic, if it is detected early.



However if it is left untreated it can lead to a condition which can then be difficult to treat.

Lyme disease is caused by a micro organism especially Borrelia burgdorferi which is transmitted by the bite of the wood tick, a blood sucking parasite that lives on deer. This tick can grow in many areas especially in forests where the deer lives. The tick can settle anywhere in the human body but would prefer the moist dark and warm places like armpits or crotch. Once it finds a suitable place on the human body, it will start sucking the blood thus exposing the person to infection. Individuals who walk on high grasses, people who are involved in activities that can expose increased number of ticks and having pets that can carry ticks home are susceptible to development of lyme disease. 

The diagnosis of lyme disease in a person can be done by doctors just by finding the characteristic red rash that is formed due to tick bite. The doctors can also examine the history of tick bite if the person is bit within one month. Blood testing is done by ELISA assay to detect the formation of antibodies against this disease. The blood testing is beneficial in a person whose symptoms are characteristic of tick disease, who have a history of tick bite within one month and who suffer from disorders of the nervous system, heart and joints typical of tick disease. The blood test cannot be reliable as the antibody is formed even after the disease is cured.



Confirmatory tests can be carried out using Western Blot test for diagnosis.

Certain prevention needs to be done against the tick bites:

Spray insect repellent on the exposed part of the skin.
Wear long clothes like full sleeve shirts and full pants to avoid tick bite.
Regularly examine clothes, children and pets for ticks.
To prevent tick bite and infection, take bath thoroughly and wash your clothes immediately after returning home.

This lymes infection occurs in phases with the early phase affecting the area where the tick had bitten to an expanding ring of redness.

Tick disease can be curable using antibiotics. As early as possible get the treatment done. For swollen joints, the doctor can remove the fluid in the swelling using a needle. Joint infection can be caused due to the bacteria transmitted by tick bite. Even if the disease is cured, joint inflammation may be present due to an auto immune response.

Hence, lyme disease can be cured effectively thus avoiding the severity of the disease.