Lyme's Disease

Lyme's disease is a bacterial infection caused by a tick bite.

Cause of Lyme's disease

Lyme's disease is caused by a bacterium belonging to the Borrelia genus (it is therefore a borreliosis). It is transmitted to human beings by a bite from aninfected tick.

Symptoms of Lyme's disease

There are three types of features that usually develop chronologically.

• Initial manifestations are a skin lesion (Lipschutz chronic erythema migrans) which may or may not be accompanied by fever or pain.
• The secondary manifestations are neurological (meningitis), cardiac, and joint problems.
• The tertiary manifestations are progressive encephalopathy, chronic atrophying dermatitis, and chronic destructive arthritis.

Treatments of Lyme's disease

The underlying treatment is antibiotics although specific surgery may be required for the various symptoms. There is a vaccine against the American strain of the bacterium. Prevention (by wearing long clothing, using repellents, or rapid removal of the tick) remains the best solution.