Research Paper on Lyme Disease: An Infectious Disease Caused by Ticks

Introduction

The Lyme disorder or the Lyme borreliosis is a disease that is infectious and is caused by the Borrelia bacterium that is transmitted through ticks. Humans get the disease after being beaten by a tick that is infected from the Ixodes genus. However, it is of crucial sense to note that various regions have different types of ticks that cause the disease. For instance, in Europe and Asia, the tick from the Ixodes ricinus family do the spreading very fast, in the United States the Ixodes scapularis type is responsible for the spread, while in Canada the Borrelia burgdorferi type is the main tick behind the infections. It is clear from the research that the ailment cannot be transmitted from one human to another, or through animals, or through the sharing of food with an infected person. According to research from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the disease is only found in the northern hemisphere as annually, in the United States, more than 300,000 people are affected, while the number in Europe is lower as only 65,000 fall victim of the disease (Keilp et al. 468). Most of the infections take place in the spring and summer seasons as that is the time when the ticks thrive most. While the numbers seem low, the truth is that those that are infected suffer for long.

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Transmission

The disease is under the classification of zoonis, as the transmission process to humans is through a natural reservoir of ticks that are found in birds and animals. The main vectors of the disease are the ticks from the genus Ixodes, as they are small with bodies that are small. The transmission process takes place during the nymphal stage, as that is when the tick is the smallest in size, hence it can attach itself while feeding for a long time without being detected. The ticks get the Borrelia bacterium from small animals that are infected like some birds and the white-footed mouse (Keilp et al. 470). The outer surface of the Borrelia is made up of protein OspA or just A, which binds with the receptor of the protein on the surface of the tick called TROSPA. As the tick feeds, it reduces the presence of OspA while increasing that of protein OspC, which is transmitted to the saliva of the tick through Salp15, a protein that is in the saliva of the tick, hence enhancing the infection chances (Keilp et al. 473). The bite of a tick is always undetected considering that during the nymphal stage it is small, besides the fact that the tick also secretes a liquid which prevents the host from feeling the itchy sensation or pain when bitten.

Signs and Symptoms

The signs and symptoms of the disease are different depending on the region, considering that they appear in stages which at times overlap. In the early stages, one would have a small bump that is red in color, the same one as that which one would have when bitten by a mosquito, at the place of the bite of the tick. One may still have the tick at the site, though that may not be indicative of the fact that one has the disorder. However, a month after infection, one may experience some rash in the region of the bite, where the area is red with the center of it appearing to be clear, such that a bull's eye mark is created (Beaman 1372). The rash or the erythema migrans expand gradually as days go by, and may spread to a diameter of 30 centimeters, as one may not feel pain or itchiness, apart from some warmth upon touching the place. The presence of the erythema migrans is the hallmark of the disease, despite the fact that not everybody who has Lyme may get the rash. Besides that, its appearance may be in several places on the body. In addition to the presence of the erythema migrans, one may also have a fever, feel fatigued all the time, have a stiff neck and have their lymph nodes swollen (Beaman 1373).

During the later stages, especially after failing to treat the disease form the earlier symptoms, new signs may start appearing on the patient. The first sign could be a spread of the erythema migrans, especially if one had only one rash on them. The second symptom is having severe pain in the joints, especially in the knee joints, but that can change from one joint to the other. The pain may be intense to the extent that one is rendered immobile as they are restricted to limited movements. The final signs are related to the neurological network, where several months or years after getting the infection one may have their membranes of the brain become inflamed, a condition called meningitis. Besides that, paralysis may also occur, especially on the left side of the face, a disorder called Bell's palsy. The muscles may also become numb or weak; hence one may have limited movement (Beaman 1373).

Blood Work

When one indicates the signs of Lyme disease, it is of great essence that they get tested. The blood sample required is drawn from the vein of the arm, which is usually referred to as the cerebrospinal fluid sample (CSF) (Keilp et al. 470).

Diagnosis

When one suspects that they have the disease and are in the hospital, the first thing that the doctor does is establishing the medical history of the patient where they may want to find out the areas where they may have visited. The intention is to find out whether these areas have the deer ticks which transmit the disease. Besides that, there are two major tests which are conducted, including the western blot test and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test (Beaman 1374). The ELISA test is the most common test when one wants to detect the disease. However, the diagnosis is not the best as it may give false outcomes, especially in the early stages. It is for that reason the western test exists as it is the one that is used to confirm that one has the disease, considering that it detects the presence of antibodies for the Borrelia protein. When the number of these antibodies is high, it implies that one has the disease as the body is reacting against the presence of the Borrelia bacterium.

Treatment

The treatment of the disease is dependent on the use of antibiotics, where the speed of recovery depends on how soon one starts taking the medication. The antibiotics could be administered orally or intravenously. Oral antibiotics include doxycycline for those who are above the age of 8, or amoxicillin for children who are younger, and women who are breastfeeding or pregnant. Intravenous antibiotics involve treating the central nervous system where the intention is to eliminate the infection (Keilp et al. 475). However, it is crucial to note that the treatment has some side effects, including diarrhea, and a reduction in the number of white blood cells.

Prevention

The best possible way of preventing the disease is by avoiding the areas where there are many deer ticks, especially in areas that are bushy, woody, and with grass that is long. However, some more simple precautions may include tick-proofing, constant and keen checking of clothes for insects before putting them on, and removing any ticks when one notices them using a pair of tweezers. It is also crucial that one does not have the assumption that they are always immune, as one can get the Lyme disease more than once even after having it earlier (Keilp et al. 476).

Works Cited

Beaman, M. H. "Lyme Disease: Why The Controversy?". Internal Medicine Journal, vol 46, no. 12, 2016, pp. 1370-1375. Wiley, doi:10.1111/imj.13278.

Keilp, John G et al. "Neurocognition In Post-Treatment Lyme Disease And Major Depressive Disorder". Archives Of Clinical Neuropsychology, vol 34, no. 4, 2018, pp. 466-480. Oxford University Press (OUP), doi:10.1093/arclin/acy083.