Lyme Disease

Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is an infectious disease caused by spirochetal bacteria from the genus Borrelia burgdorferi. In 1975, groups of children and adults living in Lyme, Connecticut began experiencing uncommon arthritic symptoms. Dr. Allen Steere was first to recognize these cases as Lyme disease. In 1977, a link was discovered between the Ixodes scapularis or black-legged tick and Lyme disease. Entomologist Dr. Willy Bergdorfer isolated spirochetes belonging to the genus Borrelia by dissecting Ixodes ticks. By 1981, he had identified the Lyme causing bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi. Since then, reports of Lyme disease have increased dramatically. Every state in America has reported cases of Lyme disease within the last ten years and is now the most common tick-born illness in the United States.

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection transmitted to humans, dogs, and other animals by ticks. When ticks feed on infected animals, such as birds or mice, they transfer the spirochetes into the blood stream of their next host, therefore infecting them. (Todar, 2014) B. burgdorferi cannot live without a host. Symptoms are vast and not always shared by those infected. Lyme is often overlooked or misdiagnosed consequently resulting in less effective treatment and more severe illness. Generalized symptoms such as, fever, headache, and fatigue are early signs of the disease, as well as a possible rash at the infection site. However, if left untreated symptoms can include: neurological, cardiac, and rheumatological complications. There are no known causes for Alzheimer’s disease, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson’s disease, and Multiple Sclerosis but B. burgdorefri spirochete have been linked to them all. (Under Our Skin, 2011) In addition to the B. burgdorferi pathogen, many tick-born coinfections are associated with Lyme disease as well: Babesia, Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, and Bartonella.

Bacteria are classified by shape, color,...