Lyme+Disease9

An infection you get when you are bitten by a tick. The actual bacteria is called Borrellia burgdoferi. This disease causes damage to the nervous system, swollen joints, etc. Causes a rash in the shape of a bull's eye on the bitten area. Lyme disease is not contagious.

I. Overview a. Infection with the spirochete bacteria called Borrellia burgdoferi i. Infects the part of the body where the tick bites. b. The most common tick-born disease in the USA c. Missed diagnosed as chronic fatigue syndrome

II. Pathology a. Causes arthritis, inflammation of the nervous system, and blindness. b. Rash around the “bull’s eye” marking

III. Symptoms a. Target or bull’s eye mark where the person was bitten i. Rash is called “Erythematic Migraines” b. Can cause inflammation of the heart muscles c. Arthritis or inflamatin in the joints d. inflammation in the nervous system e. andxiety and depression f. swollen lymph nodes g. fatigue h. chills and fever

IV. Acquisition a. being bitten and infected by a deer tick that has the disease b. not contagious by a person who already ahs the disease

V. Diagnosis a. hard to diagnos b. mostly diagnosed by blood tests c. doctors diagnose based on the patient’s symptoms d. 30,000 new cases were diagnosed in 2008

VI. Treatment a. 10-20% do not show signs early enough for treatment b. Cefuroxime Axetil (a.k.a Ceffin), which was approved by the FDA c. Penicillin d. People who treat it will recover early.

VII. Mortality Rate a. rarely fatal b. if misdiagnosed, can cause severe damage in the nervous system

VIII. Prevention a. check for ticks every time you are outdoors. b. Wear long sleeves and long pants c. Wear white

IX. Other a. Named after the town, Old Lyme, Commecticut, in where they found the first case in 1975 b. There are three stages of Lyme disease i. The first stage is early Lyme ii. Second is Early disseminated iii. The last is Late Lyme Diseasee c. most common tick born disease in the United States.

http://www.acponline.org/clinical_information/resources/lyme_disease/patient/diagnosis.htm http://www.medicinenet.com/lyme_disease/article.htm http://www.lymemd.org/?gclid=CKLTguukrKACFSZo5QodrUhFcw