Lyme Disease Jake Abram Block C 2017-06-14

Basic Description Lyme Disease is an infectious disease caused by Borrelia bacteria which is spread by ticks. The most common symptom of the disease is an expanding red area on the skin. This is known as erythema migrans, which develops around the tick bite.

What causes Lyme Disease Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected blacklegged ticks. In most cases, to transmit Lyme disease, a deer tick must be attached for 36 to 48 hours. If you find an attached tick looks swollen, it may have fed long enough to transmit bacteria. Removing the tick as soon as possible may prevent infection.

Who is affected anyone who is regularly outside in areas where tick rates are high has a greater than average risk for becoming infected. Age. The highest reported incidence of Lyme disease occurs among children 5 - 14 years old and adults 45 - 54 years old

Brief history Lyme disease was diagnosed as a condition for the first time in 1975 in Old Lyme, Connecticut. Hence the name LYME Disease. The bacterium involved was first described in 1981 by Willy Burgdorfer. It was originally mistaken for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

symptoms Rash, sometimes shaped like a bull's eye (Erythema migrans (EM rash)) Fever. Chills. Headache. Fatigue. Muscle and joint aches. Swollen lymph nodes.