Lyme Disease
What is Lyme Disease?
Lyme disease is caused by bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi.The bacteria are normally found in animals like deer or dogs. It is usually passed to humans by tick bites. Late spring and summer are the most likely times for infection.
Lyme disease is found in a wide range of places. This is usually woodland or parkland areas with a mild climate where deer live. This includes parts of Europe, North America, the former USSR, Australia and China.
The tick bite usually looks like a lump with a small scab on the skin surface at the site of the bite. Many infected people have no further symptoms. Some people develop a reddish skin-ring rash. The rash spreads out from the site of a bite after 3 to 30 days. Other common symptoms include tiredness, headache, joint pains, and flu-like symptoms.
Symptoms can last for weeks or even longer. Rarely, there can be serious complication. In some cases, these complications can occur several years later. Complications include arthritis, heart problems, and nervous system problems. Early detection and treatment of the disease can help to reduce the symptoms and how long they last. For this reason, it is important to be aware of the symptoms, particularly the rash. Lyme disease is caused by a spiral-shaped bacteria (spirochaete) known as Borrelia burgdorferi. It is usually spread from one animal to another by tick bites. The bacteria is often found in deer and sometimes in dogs and other small animals. It is spread to humans when a tick bites an infected animal, then goes on to bite a human.
Woodland or parkland where deer live are the most likely places to catch Lyme disease. The risks are higher if you are working, camping or involved in outdoor activities in these areas. The most likely time to be infected is in late spring or summer.
Lyme Disease Symptoms
Lyme disease signs and symptoms vary widely because Lyme disease can affect various parts of the body. Not everyone with the disease will have all of the signs and symptoms. But in general, Lyme disease can cause:- Rash. A small, red bump may appear within a few days to a month, usually at the site of the tick bite - often in your groin or belt area or behind your knee. The bump may be warm to the touch and mildly tender. Over the next few days, the redness expands, forming a rash that may be as small as your fingertip or as large as 12 inches (30 centimeters) across. It often resembles a bull's-eye, with a red ring surrounding a clear area and a red center. The rash, called erythema migrans, is one of the hallmarks of Lyme disease, affecting about 70 to 80 percent of infected people. If you're allergic to tick saliva, redness may develop at the site of a tick bite. The redness usually fades within a week. This is not the same as erythema migrans, which tends to expand and become redder over time.
- Migratory joint pain. If the infection is not treated, you may develop bouts of severe joint pain and swelling several weeks to months after you're infected. Your knees are especially likely to be affected, but the pain can shift from one joint to another.
- Neurological problems. In some cases, inflammation of the membranes surrounding your brain (meningitis), temporary paralysis of one side of your face (Bell's palsy), numbness or weakness in your limbs, and impaired muscle movement may occur weeks, months or even years after an untreated infection.
- Flu-like symptoms. Fever, chills, fatigue, body aches and a headache may accompany the rash.
- Less common signs and symptoms. Some people may experience heart problems - such as an irregular heartbeat - several weeks after infection, but this rarely lasts more than a few days or weeks. Eye inflammation, hepatitis and severe fatigue are possible as well.
