Running Head: Lyme Disease

LAST NAME 1

LYME DISEASE

Student’s Name;

Course;

Professor’s Name;

Institution Affiliation;

Date;
Lyme Disease
LAST NAME 2

Lyme Disease is a tick-borne illness caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, where

by deer ticks act as a horst factor. It has been a nationally notifiable condition in the United

States since 1991. Possible cases of Lyme Disease are reported to state and local health

departments by health care providers and laboratories. The extent of case investigations varies by

states and investigations are often dependent on available resources and time. Studies conducted

have shown that each year, approximately 30,000 cases of Lyme Disease are reported to CDC by

state health departments and the district of Columbia. There is no way of knowing exactly how

many people get lyme disease but a recently released estimate based on insurance records

suggested that each year, approximately 476,000 Americans are diagnosed and treated of the

condition (Barrett, 2022).

Lyme Disease can affect different body systems such as nervous system, joints, skin, and

heart. It is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and transmitted to humans through the

bite of an infected blacklegged tick. Blacklegged ticks have a 2 to 3 year life cycle and during

this time, they go through four life stages; egg, larva, nymph and adult. After hatching of the

eggs, the larva and nymph each must take a blood meal to develop to the next life stage, and the

female needs blood to produce egg. Larval and nymphal ticks can become infected with lyme

disease bacteria when feeding on an infected wildlife host, usually a rodent. The bacteria are

passed along to the next life stage. Nymphs or adults females can then spread the bacteria during

their next blood meal (Voordouw, 2015).

Lyme disease is serious illnesses in the world today because delayed treatment can result

into more severe disease. If left untreated infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the

nervous system. Lyme disease can be effectively treated with a 2 to 4 weeks of oral antibiotics

such as doxycycline or amoxicillin therapy. There is no current vaccine of lyme disease as the
Lyme Disease
LAST NAME 3

previously vasccine, LYMERix was discontinued ny the manufacturer in 2002 due to insufficient

consumer demand.

Some doctors dispute the diagnosis of lyme disease because the bacteria that causes it are

hard to detect with current lab tests as people often test positive for lyme disease while in actual

they have a different bacterial illness. Other communicable disease that lyme disease closely

mimic include; Influenza, Summer Flu which presents with early symptoms of lyme disease such

as fever, chills, fatigue and pain.

The type of tick which is the vector of lyme disease is called deer tick (Ixodes

scapularis), an inhibitant of the northeastern, southeastern, and north-central United States.

Lyme disease was first recognized in the United States in 1975, after a mysterious outbreak of

arthritis near Lyme, Connecticut. Afterwards, reports of Lyme Disease increased dramatically

and the disease became an important health problems in some areas in the United States.
Lyme Disease
LAST NAME 4

References

Barrett, J. (2022). It’s about Lyme: Why Congress Must Enact Medical Insurance Coverage Laws for

Lyme Disease Patients Now.

Voordouw, M. J. (2015). Co-feeding transmission in Lyme disease pathogens. Parasitology, 142(2), 290-

302.