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Lyme disease

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Lyme disease

A multisystem illness caused by the tick-borne spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. The disease, also known as Lyme borreliosis, generally begins with a unique expanding skin lesion, erythema migrans, which is often accompanied by symptoms resembling those of influenza or meningitis. During the weeks or months following the tick bite, some individuals may develop cardiac and neurological abnormalities, particularly meningitis or inflammation of the cranial or peripheral nerves. If the disease is untreated, intermittent or chronic arthritis and progressive encephalomyelitis may develop months or years after primary infection. See Nervous system disorders

The causative agent, B. burgdorferi, is a helically shaped bacterium with dimensions of 0.18–0.25 by 4–30 micrometers. Once thought to be limited to the European continent, Lyme borreliosis and related disorders are now known to occur also in North America, Russia, Japan, China, Australia, and Africa, where B. burgdorferi is maintained and transmitted by ticks of the genus Ixodes, namely I. dammini, I. pacificus, and possibly I. scapularis in the United States, I. ricinus in Europe, and I. persulcatus in Asia. Reports of Lyme disease in areas where neither I. dammini nor I. pacificus is present suggest that other species of ticks or possibly other bloodsucking arthropods such as biting flies or fleas may be involved in maintaining and transmitting the spirochetes. See Ixodides

All stages of Lyme borreliosis may respond to antibiotic therapy. Early treatment with oral tetracycline, doxycycline, penicillin, amoxicillin, or erythromycin can shorten the duration of symptoms and prevent later disease. See Antibiotic

Prevention and control of Lyme borreliosis must be directed toward reduction of the tick population. This can be accomplished through reducing the population of animals that serve as hosts for the adult ticks, elimination of rodents that are not only the preferred hosts but also the source for infecting immature ticks with B. burgdorferi, and application of tick-killing agents to vegetation in infested areas. Personal use of effective tick repellents and toxins is also recommended. See Infectious disease, Insecticide

Lyme disease affects not only humans but also domestic animals such as dogs, horses, and cattle that serve as hosts for the tick vectors. Animals affected show migratory, intermittent arthritis in some joints similar to that observed in humans.

McGraw-Hill Concise Encyclopedia of Bioscience. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Lyme disease

[′līm di‚zēz]
(medicine)
A complex multisystem human illness caused by the tick-borne spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. Also known as Lyme borreliosis.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
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References in periodicals archive
Hernandez et al., "Systemic symptoms without erythema migrans as the presenting picture of early Lyme disease," American Journal of Medicine, vol.
White dot syndromes have been associated with various diseases that are characterized by delayed hypersensitivity reaction such as sarcoidosis, tuberculosis, schistosomiasis and also Lyme disease. (8,9,10,11) Despite these reports, in a study with 18 patients who showed all characteristic fundus and angiographic signs of white dot syndromes and had elevated serum levels of Borrelia burgdorferi-specfc antibodies, no patient demonstrated evidence of Borrelia using immunoblotting methods.
The survey was based on a previously validated questionnaire and distributed to assess clinicians' knowledge of Lyme disease. (11, 12) A 25-question survey assessed knowledge of symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and surveillance using factual questions and three clinical practice scenarios.
Moreover, our medical community is missing the opportunity to strengthen Oregon's expertise to treat complex multisystemic infectious diseases such as Lyme disease. The alternative is that we just sit by and watch that proficiency and patient money accumulate elsewhere.
* Children are just as likely to contract Lyme disease as adults; however they will most likely present differently due to their inability to express their pain.
Lyme Disease Action exists to address the current lack of awareness of Lyme disease amongst the public and the medical profession.
In addition, it is hypothesized that a weak ecological correlation would exist between the Lyme disease incidence rate and aerial deer population estimates.
The apparent association between ethnicity and Lyme disease is most likely due to sociocultural and behavioural reasons, for example living in areas that are more likely to see a higher abundance of disease-transmitting ticks.'
Treatment of early-stage Lyme disease with antibiotics such as doxycycline, amoxicillin or cefuroxime is usually quite effective.
Some 4,083 cases of Lyme disease were detected among 4,025 patients.
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