Lime Disease

Lime disease, (Lyme Disease) or borreliosis, is an infectious disease caused by spirochete bacteria from the genus Borrelia. The infection is typically the bite of an infected black-legged or deer tick, but other carriers may be other... [more]

Lime disease, (Lyme Disease) or borreliosis, is an infectious disease caused by spirochete bacteria from the genus Borrelia. The infection is typically the bite of an infected black-legged or deer tick, but other carriers may be other ticks which have been implicated in some cases. Borrelia burgdorferi is the predominant cause of Lime Disease (Lyme disease) in the US and Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii are more common in Europe.

The diseases presentation varies widely, and can include a rash or flu-like symptoms in its initial stage, then muscular skeletal, arthritic, neurologic, psychiatric and sometimes cardiac manifestations. In a majority of cases symptoms can be eliminated with the use of specific antibiotics, especially if treatment is started very early in the course of illness.

Treatment
Late or inadequate treatment often leads to “late stage” Lime diseease (Lyme disease) that is disabling and difficult to treat. Furthermore, this is comlicated by the fact that this is a very dificult disease to diagnose accurately in the early stages.

GENERAL SYMPTOMS
The acute phase of Lime disease (lyme disease) infection is a characteristic reddish "bulls-eye" rash, with accompanying fever, and musculoskeletal pain. The characteristic reddish "bull's-eye" rash may be seen in up to 80% of early stage Lime disease (Lyme Disease)patients, and can appear anywhere from one day to a month after a tick bite. The rash does not represent an allergic reaction to the bite, but rather a skin infection with the Lime (lyme) bacteria.

The incubation period from infection to the onset of symptoms is usually 1-2 weeks, but is some cases this can be months or Years after the initial Tick Bite occured. Symptoms most often occur from May through September because the nymphal stage of the tick is responsible for most cases.

Other, less common findings in acute Lime disease (lyme disease)include cardiac problems which can happen in up to 10% of patients and include susch smptoms as palpitations. There is also a risk in some cases of neurologic symptoms with simple altered mental status as the sole presenting symptom.

ACUTE SYMPTOMS
Chronic Lime disease (lyme disease) can be manifested by a wide-range of neurological disorders, either central or peripheral, including encephalitis or encephalomyelitis, muscle twitching, polyneuropathy or paresthesia, and vestibular symptoms among others. Neuropsychiatric disturbances can occur (possibly from a low-level encephalitis), which may lead to symptoms of memory loss, sleep disturbances, or changes in mood or affect.