Lyme Disease

Lyme disease- Borreliosis

• A single 16S rRNA gene
• bacterium Borrelia Burgdorferi
• It is a disease caused by tick bites and can be passed down through the family. Most patients do not remember a tick bite or any rash, but a rash is a common sign of the disease.
• Symptoms: rashes, fever/fatigue, and stiffness

Transmission and Risks

• Transmission: tick bites
• When: any age
• risk factors: spending time in wooded/grassy areas or STD
• There are precautions that can be taken for both risk factors.

Symptoms

• Rash, flu-like symptoms, migraines, and joint problems.

Prevention

• Use insect repellent and know where ticks normally bite. Also, shower after being outdoors.
• Treatment: low-dose antidepressants for chronic pain, and natural herbs for joints.

Diagnosis

• Laboratory blood tests and clinical diagnosis based off of medical history.
• DNA sequencing tests for Lyme disease.
• Mothers may pass the disease onto their children in the womb.
• Approximately 30,000 cases per year.

Treatment

• Prevention: have as little exposed skin as possible, check your family for ticks, remove them as fast as possible with tweezers, clear thick brush and leaves in your yard, and keep wood piles in sunny areas.
• Stage 1: 1-4 weeks, stage 2: 1-4 months, chronic Lyme Disease

Treatment

• Patients in early stages normally recover very fast with antibiotics including Doxycycline, Amoxicillin, and Cefuroxime axetil. Patients with neurological or cardiac forms may be treated with Ceftriaxone and Penicillin.
• Doctors at the University of Texas at Houston are working to screen, identify, and characterize the virulence determinants of the bacterium.

Cures and Vaccines

• Some vaccines were attempted to be developed, but ultimately were not effective enough to be approved by the FDA. It would have also been very expensive because the vaccines would have been spread over a full year.

Mortality Rate

• Around 30,000 cases every year.
• Early stages Lyme Disease can feel like the flu and be very tiring
• (From personal experience, it can be frustrating because a lot of doctors deny Lyme Disease that has been passed through families. Also, very few treatments have been developed.)

Survival

• Other diseases from late stage Lyme disease or neurological Lyme disease can develop.
• 40 to 50 percent of people with Chronic Lyme disease are placed on antibiotics, but these are not always actually necessary- the placebo effect

Organizations

• Treatment organizations: Lyme Disease Association, Inc., Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation, Bay Area Lyme Foundation.
• These organizations want to raise awareness of this disease to help people prevent contracting this disease.
• They are also support organizations

Summary

• Lyme Disease is a tick-born disease that can also be passed down and through the family. It is important to check yourself for ticks after being in heavily brushed or wooded areas. It is also important to visit your doctor if you develop a rash or flu-like symptoms after being bit by a tick.

An Unknown Fact

• Lyme disease can become very serious if left untreated and it CAN be passed through the family.

Quiz Questions

• What is the cause of Lyme Disease?
• Is Lyme Disease a common disease or is it very rare?
• Can Lyme Disease be passed down through the family?
• Is there a vaccination for Lyme Disease?