Lyme Disease.ppt

Disclaimer
•All the following is presented as personal
opinion and does not mean to be medical
advice nor in anyway to be an endorsement
of any of the treatments or items listed
herein.
•Always consult a physician for all medical
advice. This document can contain errors or
omissions and should not take the place of
licensed medical care.

Lyme Disease
Ticks , Ticks and more Ticks
The Great Imitator!
My story…6th,8th,12th

Lyme disease was first recognized in the United States in 1975 by Dr. Allen Steere, following a
mysterious outbreak of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis near the community of Lyme, Connecticut.
The rural location of the Lyme outbreak and the onset of illness during summer and early fall
suggested that the transmission of the disease was by an arthropod vector.
In 1982, the etiologic agent of Lyme disease was discovered by Willy Burgdorfer, who isolated
spirochetes belonging to the genus Borrelia from the mid-guts of Ixodes ticks. He showed that
these spirochetes reacted with immune serum from patients that had been diagnosed with
Lyme disease. Subsequently, the etiologic agent was given the name Borrelia burgdorferi.
Since then, reports of Lyme disease have increased dramatically to the point that the
disease has become an important public health problem in some areas of the United
States. Today, Lyme disease is the most prevalent tick-borne illness in the United States.
© 2007 Kenneth Todar–
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Department of Bacteriology
Used by permission.
We are finding out that this
Information has been around
In Europe since the 1800’s.

More on spirochetes
•Spirochetes are usually much longer than they are wide, and often their
width is below the resolving power of the light microscope. For example,
Borrelia may have a length of 20-30um but a width of only 0.2-0.3um.
Hence, most spirochetes cannot be viewed using conventional light
microscopy. Dark-field microscopy must be used to view spirochetes.
•Spirochetes burrow into joints, muscles, organs, & brain.
YIKES!! And is cousin to the Syphillis Spirochete!!

•Symptoms of Lyme disease
.
•Stage one (early infection). The early stage of Lyme disease is often characterized by a distinctive, expanding red
rash that usually develops at the site of the tick bite. This rash, known as erythema migrans, is seen in 60-80% of
infected individuals (it is important to remember that the converse is true: no rash is ever observed in 20-40% of the
cases). Spirochetes can be isolated from the leading edge of the rash. Erythema migrans is a red circular patch that
appears usually 3 days to 1 month following the bite of the tick. The patch then expands, often to a large size and
develops a characteristic "bull's eye" appearance. However, not all rashes that occur at the site of a tick bite are due
to Lyme disease. An allergic reaction to tick saliva often occurs at the site of a tick bite. This rash can be confused
with the rash of Lyme disease. Allergic reactions to tick saliva usually occur within hours to a few days after the tick
bite, usually do not expand, and disappear within a few days. Erythema migrans persists longer, but usually subsides
within 3-4 weeks.
•Stage two (dissemination stage) occurs days to weeks following infection. At this stage the spirochetes spread
hematogenously to additional body tissues. One or more of the following symptoms and signs may be noted:
fatigue , chills and fever , headache, muscle and joint pain , swollen lymph nodes, secondary annular skin lesions
•Stage three (persistent infection). Some symptoms and signs of Lyme disease may not appear until weeks,
months, or years after a tick bite. Stage three typically involves intermittent episodes of joint pain. Common clinical
manifestations at this stage may include meningitis, Bell's palsy, cardiac involvement, and migratory pain to joints,
tendons, muscle and bone.
•Arthritis is most likely to appear as brief bouts of pain and swelling, usually in one or more large joints, especially the
knees.
•Nervous system abnormalities can include numbness, pain, Bell's palsy (paralysis of the facial muscles, usually on
one side), and meningitis (fever, stiff neck, and severe headache).
•Less frequently, irregularities of the heart rhythm occur.
•the development of chronic Lyme arthritis may lead to erosion of cartilage and/or bone. Other clinical manifestations
associated with stage three Lyme disease include neurologic complications such as depression, disturbances in
memory, mood, or sleep patterns, and sensations of numbness and tingling in the hands or feet.
•Lyme disease mimics other diseases and pathologies and is highly variable in its presentation. In some persons the
rash never forms; in some, the first and only sign of Lyme disease is arthritis, and in others, nervous system problems
are the only evidence of Lyme disease. There is an increasing and alarming number of reports of neuropsychiatric
effects associated with Lyme Disease.