Lyme disease belongs to the group of anthropozoonoses, or that group of diseases that can be naturally transmitted from vertebrate animals to humans. In this specific case, the transmission of the disease is not direct but is mediated by an insect.
The carrier of the infection is a tick, which becomes infected after biting a sick animal and transmits the infection to humans with the bite.
.Lyme disease was first described in the mid-1970s, but the same symptoms were described in 1910, in Scandinavia.
1975 is remembered as the "year of" the Lyme disease epidemic, the same year in which "unexplained" cases of arthritis (later revealed as a consequence of Lyme disease) were recorded; around that time the epidemic hit a small Connecticut town called Old Lyme (hence the name of the disease).
Ten years later, medical statistics have observed as many as 14,000 patients suffering from this disease.
Discovered for the first time in America, Lyme disease currently has endemic outbreaks all over the world, ranging from Japan to Canada, from Australia to Europe. In the United States alone, about 15-18,000 cases are diagnosed each year.
In Italy, the first human clinical case was reported in 1983 in Genoa and the first isolation of the responsible germ took place in Trieste in 1987. Currently, the regions most affected are Friuli Venezia Giulia, Liguria, Veneto, Emilia Romagna. , Trentino Alto Adige, while in the central-southern regions and in the islands the reports are sporadic.
Curiosity
'The disease that, in the US, spreads faster after AIDS": it is with this statement that the New York Times defined Lyme disease.
Lyme disease is also known as borreliosis.Infection
Lyme disease is not transmitted to humans directly from this beating: in fact, the bacterium infects ticks, which, in turn, through the bite can transmit the infection to humans and other animals.
Many mammals (e.g. deer, hedgehogs, etc.), birds and rodents represent the ideal replication reservoir.
Subjects at Risk for Lyme Disease
The categories at risk are people in contact with wildlife, hunting guards, foresters, breeders, veterinarians and hikers.
Ticks - especially of the genus Ixodes - they represent the vector of the disease: the bacteria is "collected" by ticks, which, sucking the blood of infected animals, transmit it through the bite to humans and other animals.
Since Lyme disease has also been found in tick-free areas, it is believed that, exceptionally, it can also be carried by other bloodsucking insects.
To transmit the infection to humans, the infected tick must adhere to the skin for more than 24 hours: in this way, repeated bites - however painless - favor the transmission of Borrelia via regurgitation, stool or saliva in the locus of the bite itself.
Please Note
Infection with Borrelia burgdorferi It does not give immunity, so Lyme disease can be contracted several times in a lifetime.
How to recognize tick bites?
Recognizing tick bites - or more correctly, tick bites - can be difficult since they are completely painless. However, usually, these ectoparasites remain attached to the skin of the unfortunate individual (or animal); therefore, they will be clearly visible on the skin surface, especially after having consumed the blood meal after which they tend to "swell".
Lyme disease ranges from 4 to 25 days, more frequently from 7 to 14 days; clinical manifestations can be early or late.
Typically, the typical symptoms of Lyme disease can be summarized into three main stages; however, the "stages" can sometimes overlap and thus manifest themselves simultaneously.
Stages of the disease
Lyme disease typically starts with a chronic migrant erythema.
It is a small red spot, not detected, which - in a variable period of time from a few days to several weeks - extends to become a "huge circular-oval or, in other cases, triangular spot. a diameter even greater than 5 cm and often has a "lighter" central area.
Erythema is often accompanied by other peculiar symptoms, such as
- Fever;
- Muscle aches;
- Physical fatigue;
- Headache;
- Stiffness in the neck.
In severe cases, Lyme disease continues with heart, joint and / or neurological pain.
Sometimes, in this phase, the patient with Lyme disease may also complain of dizziness, shortness of breath and / or inflammation of the eyes.
When Lyme disease is neglected or not thoroughly treated, it could cause long-term damage, damaging the nervous system and skin.
Among the less frequent symptoms of Lyme disease, we also mention: difficulty concentrating, memory loss, mood changes, irritability.
As noted, the symptoms that accompany Lyme disease are multiple and heterogeneous: a patient may have only some signs, while in others, the disease can generate more severe disorders. For these reasons, the diagnosis is not always immediate and simple.
In the next article, Lyme disease will be analyzed from a diagnostic, therapeutic and prophylactic point of view.
Consequently, the removal of the tick is of fundamental importance and must be carried out as soon as possible, to prevent it from carrying out the blood meal and thus injecting potentially infected saliva.
To detach the tick
To detach the tick it is advisable to contact your doctor in order to avoid making mistakes that could favor the rupture of the ectoparasite and the leakage of gastric contents with consequent outbreak of any pathogens and other potentially dangerous substances.
Some suggest removing the tick with tweezers by gently pulling; with such a practice, however, the risk of "breaking" the ectoparasite is very high; for this reason, others recommend removing it by grabbing it with tweezers, but turning it as if it were a cork. In any case, DIY is always not recommended.
After the removal of the tick, the skin must be thoroughly disinfected with suitable products.
In the 30 days following the puncture
- Consult a doctor (the doctor should also be consulted as soon as you realize you have been bitten or as soon as you notice the presence of the ectoparasite on the skin);
- Check the affected skin area, looking for the presence of a reddish patch around the area of the puncture;
- Pay attention to the appearance of fatigue, fever, malaise, headache, swollen glands and joint pain;
- The use of antibiotics is not recommended as they may mask symptoms and confuse the diagnosis.
Other Lyme Disease Articles You May Be Interested In:
- Lyme disease in brief
- Lyme disease in dogs
