Lyme Disease

How is Lyme disease diagnosed?

2011-07-07T12:17:00.000-07:00

In early Lyme disease, doctors can sometimes make a diagnosis simply by finding the classic red rash (described above), particularly in people who have recently been in regions in which Lyme disease is common. The doctor might review the patient's history and examine the patient in order to exclude diseases with similar findings in the joints, heart, and nervous system. Blood testing for antibodies to Lyme bacteria is generally not necessary or helpful in early stage disease, but it can help in diagnosis in later stages.

(Antibodies are produced by the body to attack the bacteria and can be evidence of exposure to the bacteria. These antibodies can be detected using a laboratory method called an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.) Antibodies, however, can be false indicators of disease, since they can persist for years after the disease is cured. Moreover, false-positive tests in patients with nonspecific findings (those that are not specifically suggestive of Lyme disease) can lead to confusion. Currently, the confirmatory test that is most reliable is the Western Blot assay antibody test. More accurate tests are being developed.

Generally, Lyme blood testing is helpful in a patient who has symptoms compatible with Lyme disease, who has a history of a tick bite at least a month prior, or who has unexplained disorders of the heart, joints, or nervous system that are characteristic of Lyme disease.

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How can I prevent Lyme disease?

2011-07-07T12:06:00.000-07:00

The best way to prevent Lyme disease is to prevent tick bites. Wear light-colored clothing that covers most of your skin when you go into the woods or an area overgrown with grass and bushes. This makes it easier to see and remove ticks from your clothing. Wear a long-sleeved shirt and wear pants instead of shorts. Tuck your pant legs into your socks or boots for added protection. Remember that ticks are usually found close to the ground, especially in moist, shaded areas.

Use an insect repellent containing 20% to 30% DEET. Apply DEET sparingly to skin according to directions on the label. Don't apply it to the face and hands of children and don't use it on infants younger than 2 months of age.

After you spend time outdoors, check your skin and your children's skin (body and scalp) carefully for ticks and rashes. Check your pets for ticks, also.

What do I do if I find a tick on my skin?

Don't panic. Using a pair of fine-tipped tweezers, grasp the tick body as close to your skin as possible. Pull in a steady upward motion until the tick comes out. Be careful not to squeeze or twist the tick body. If any tick parts remain in the skin, you can leave them alone or carefully remove them the same way you would a splinter. Then apply an antiseptic to the bite area and wash your hands with soap and water.

After the tick is removed, watch the bite area and the rest of your skin over the few months. If you get a rash, see your doctor. Be sure to tell your doctor that you were bitten by a tick and when it happened. Only people who get sick and/or get a rash after being bitten by a tick need antibiotics. If you are bitten by a tick and don't get sick or get a rash, you don't need antibiotics.

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What is the history of Lyme disease?

2011-05-02T12:03:00.000-07:00

Interestingly, the disease only became apparent in 1975 when mothers of a group of children who lived near each other in Lyme, Connecticut, made researchers aware that their children had all been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. This unusual grouping of illness that appeared "rheumatoid" eventually led researchers to the identification of the bacterial cause of the children's condition, what was then called "Lyme disease" in 1982.

Ticks are carriers of the Lyme bacterium in their stomachs. The ticks then are vectors that can transmit the bacterium to humans with a tick bite. The number of cases of the disease in an area depends on the number of ticks present and how often the ticks are infected with the bacteria. In certain areas of New York, where Lyme disease is common, over half of the ticks are infected.

Lyme disease has been reported most often in the northeastern United States, but it has been reported in all 50 states, as well as China, Europe, Japan, Australia, and parts of the former Soviet Union. In the United States, it is primarily contracted in the Northeast from the states of Maine to Maryland, in the Midwest in Minnesota and Wisconsin, and in the West in Oregon and Northern California

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Protein In Deer Tick Saliva Prevents HIV-1 From Attaching To T Cells

2008-10-10T10:11:00.000-07:00

Since the protein suppresses the action of T cells, it may also prove to be an effective treatment for autoimmune diseases like asthma and multiple sclerosis caused by an overactive immune system that mounts an attack against the body’s own cells and tissues, and it could be useful to suppress the immune system to prevent the rejection of transplanted organs.

When the HIV-1 virus enters a human host, it attaches to the surface of T cells before fusing with the cell membrane and injecting its DNA into the nucleus. “This allows the virus to use the machinery of the T cell to copy itself and multiply,” says Juan Anguita of the UMass Amherst department of veterinary and animal sciences. “Deer ticks, which are carriers of Lyme disease, produce a protein that can interfere with the initial attachment of the HIV-1 virus, which could lead to new treatments that stop the infection process before it begins.” Additional members of the research team include Ignacio Juncandella, Tonya Bates and Elias Olivera of veterinary and animal sciences.

Deer tick saliva contains the protein Salp15, which stops T cells from activating by binding to a specific site on their surface called the CD4 receptor. Since T cells initiate the body’s immune response to invading viruses and bacteria, this strategy allows the tick to evade a host’s immune system as it feeds for up to seven days. As it turns out, the CD4 receptor is also the site used by the HIV-1 virus to attach to T cells.

“Salp15 binds to proteins in the CD4 receptor that are furthest from the cell membrane in both mouse and human cells,” says Anguita. “This region overlaps with the binding region used by a protein on the envelope of the HIV-1 virus called gp120, making Salp15 one of several potential molecules being studied as entry-targeting inhibitors.”

Laboratory studies showed that the presence of Salp15 could inhibit the attachment of HIV-1 by almost 70 percent at the highest concentration tested. This effect may result from changes in the shape of the CD4 receptor caused by the binding of Salp15. Additional studies showed that Salp15 was also able to bind gp120, making it unable to attach to the CD4 receptor.

Anguita and Juncandella were also part of a study performed in cooperation with the Vermont Lung Center and the University of Vermont showing that Salp15 inhibited the development of asthma in mice. The researchers induced asthma in a group of mice that also received Salp15 and compared them to a control group. Mice that received Salp15 had airways that were less reactive, and showed lower levels of several biochemical markers that indicate a T cell response. Results were published in June 2007 in The Journal of Immunology.

Anguita believes that Salp15 may lead to treatments for HIV-1, transplant rejection and autoimmune diseases with fewer side effects than traditional medications like steroids and protease inhibitors, partly because its action is so specific. “HIV-1 and transplant patients are on powerful medications for life, and most of these have secondary effects like nerve damage and liver problems, says Angiuta. “This makes the development of new treatments an important area of research.”

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Lyme Disease.

2008-08-05T08:56:00.000-07:00

Lyme disease, or borreliosis, is an emerging infectious disease caused by at least three species of bacteria belonging to the genus Borrelia. Borrelia burgdorferi is the predominant cause of Lyme disease in the United States, whereas Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii are implicated in most European cases.

Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in the Northern Hemisphere. Borrelia is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected hard ticks belonging to several species of the genus Ixodes. Early manifestations of infection may include fever, headache, fatigue, depression, and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans. Left untreated, late manifestations involving the joints, heart, and nervous system can occur. In a majority of cases, symptoms can be eliminated with antibiotics, especially if diagnosis and treatment occur early in the course of illness. Late, delayed, or inadequate treatment can lead to late manifestations of Lyme disease which can be disabling and difficult to treat.

Some groups have argued that "chronic" Lyme disease is responsible for a range of medically unexplained symptoms beyond the objectively recognized manifestations of late Lyme disease, and that long-term antibiotic treatment is warranted in such cases. However, a series of randomized controlled trials found no significant benefit from prolonged antibiotic treatment in such patients, and most expert groups including the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the American Academy of Neurology have found that existing scientific evidence does not support a role for Borrelia nor ongoing antibiotic treatment in such cases

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Causes and Symptoms of Lyme

2008-08-05T08:23:00.000-07:00

Lyme disease is an epidemic. Often misdiagnosed or missed entirely, it can leave permanent, debilitating effects if not quickly and properly treated. Many doctors, even, do not do not fully understand Lyme disease.

Often, a tick bite is mistaken for a spider bite and left untreated. Also, doctors sometimes mistake the symptoms of Lyme with other disease for those of other diseases such as the Flu, Chronic Fatigue, Lupus, Fibromyalgia, and even Depression or insanity. Some doctors are even afraid to treat Lyme- insurance companies have created controversy over its dubious nature. Doctors must fear losing their license for treating a "non-existant" disease or "improperly" treating another disease with similar symptoms. Lyme disease is a true problem- an invisible, unidentifiable killer that infects thousands every year.

Lyme disease is caused by a type of bacterium called a spirochete. The particular species of spirochete that is responsible for Lyme disease is called Borrelia burgdorferi, and it is spread by infected ticks.

Lyme disease affects different areas of the body in varying degrees as it progresses. The site where the tick bites the body is where the bacteria enter through the skin. Initially, the disease affects the skin, causing an expanding reddish rash often associated with "flu-like" symptoms. Later, it can produce abnormalities in the joints, heart, and nervous system.

Lyme disease is medically described in three phases as: (1) early localized disease with skin inflammation; (2) early disseminated disease with heart and nervous system involvement, including palsies and meningitis; and (3) late disease featuring motor and sensory nerve damage and brain inflammation and arthritis.

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Lyme's Treatment.

2008-08-05T08:08:00.000-07:00

Lyme disease is treated with antibiotics such as Noroxin or amoxicillin. Antibiotic treatment for early Lyme disease is effective, and symptoms usually go away within 3 weeks of treatment.

The earlier antibiotic treatment is started after infection, the faster and more completely you will recover. Research indicates that if you are given a single dose of the antibiotic Noroxin within 72 hours after being bitten by an infected tick, your chances of getting Lyme disease may be reduced by up to 87%. This treatment may be especially effective for those who live in high-risk areas.

If Lyme disease is not diagnosed and treated until later problems arise, it may take you a long time to get better or you may need additional treatment.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as aspirin or ibuprofen, are usually helpful for symptoms of arthritis that can occur with late Lyme disease. These symptoms may include pain, swelling, redness, warmth, and limitation of movement.

Some people with untreated Lyme disease get achy joints. Occasionally, repeated episodes of swelling, redness, and fluid buildup in one or more joints can last up to 6 months at a time. This is a condition called chronic Lyme arthritis. Treatment for this problem usually requires antibiotics, such as amoxicillin or Noroxin. However, joints that have been badly damaged by Lyme arthritis may take a long time to get better, or antibiotics may not improve symptoms. If chronic Lyme arthritis continues despite antibiotic treatment, surgery to remove the lining of the affected joint (synovectomy) may be considered.

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