Everything about Lyme disease Lecture Done by Rami R. Abualeh

1. Done by: Rami Abualeh

2.  Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia
burgdorferi and its transmitted to humans through the
bite of infected blacklegged ticks.
 Lyme disease is diagnosed based on symptoms, physical
findings (e.g., rash).
 If left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart,
and the nervous system.
Introduction

3. 
Ticks

4. 
 Fever
 Headache
 Fatigue
 Erythema migrans
Typical symptoms

5. 
 Early localized stage (3 to 30 days post-tick bite)
 Erythema migrans (EM)
 Fatigue, chills, fever, headache, muscle pain, joint
aches and swollen lymph nodes
Signs and Symptoms

6. 
 Erythema migrans Rash occurs in
approximately 70 to 80 percent of infected
persons and begins at the site of a tick bite
 Rash gradually expands over a period of several days, and can
reach up to 12 inches (30 cm) across. Parts of the rash may clear as
it enlarges, resulting in a “bull's-eye” appearance.
 Rash usually feels warm to the touch but is rarely itchy or painful.
 EM rash may appear on any area of the body.
Erythema migrans (EM) or
"bull's-eye" rash

7. 
 Early disseminated stage (days to weeks post-tick bite)
 Untreated, the infection may spread from the site of the bite to
other parts of the body, producing an array of specific symptoms
that may come and go, including:
 Additional EM rashes on other areas of the body
 Facial or Bell's palsy
 Severe headaches and neck stiffness due to meningitis
 Pain and swelling in the large joints (such as knees)
 Shooting pains that may interfere with sleep
 Heart palpitations and dizziness due to changes in heartbeat
(Lyme carditis)
 Many of these symptoms will resolve over a period of weeks to
months, even without treatment. However, lack of treatment can
result in additional complications.
Signs and Symptoms

8. 
 Loss of muscle tone on one or both sides of the face is
called facial or “Bell's” palsy.
Bell's (facial) palsy

9. 
 Late disseminated stage (months to years post-tick bite)
 Approximately 60% of patients with untreated infection
may begin to have intermittent arthritis with severe joint
pain and swelling. Large joints are most often affected,
particularly the knees.
 Up to 5% of untreated patients may
develop chronic neurological
complications
These include shooting pains, numbness
or tingling in the hands or feet and
problems with short-term memory.
Signs and Symptoms

10. 
 Lyme disease diagnosis is based on:
 Signs and symptoms
 A history of possible exposure to infected blacklegged
ticks.
 Laboratory blood tests are helpful if used correctly
and performed with validated methods, But not
recommended for patients who do NOT have
symptoms typical of Lyme disease.
Diagnosis and Testing

11. 

12. 
 Avoid Direct Contact with Ticks
 Avoid wooded and bushy areas with high grass and leaf litter.
 Walk in the center of trails.
 Repel Ticks with DEET or Permethrin
 Use repellents that contain 20 to 30% DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-
toluamide) on exposed skin and clothing for protection that lasts
up to several hours.
Bathe or shower as soon as possible after
coming indoors (preferably within 2 hours)
Preventing Tick Bites on
People

13. 
 Patients treated with appropriate antibiotics in the
early stages of Lyme disease usually recover rapidly
and completely.
 Antibiotics commonly used for oral treatment
include doxycycline, amoxicillin, or cefuroxime.
 Patients with certain neurological or cardiac forms of
illness may require intravenous treatment with
drugs such as ceftriaxone or penicillin.
Treatment

14. 
 Approximately 10 to 20% of patients treated for Lyme disease
with a recommended 2 to 4 week course of antibiotics will have
lingering symptoms of fatigue, muscle pain and joint aches .
 In some cases, these can last for more than 6 months. Although
often called "chronic Lyme disease," this condition is properly
known as "Post-treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome" (PTLDS).
 The exact cause of PTLDS is not yet known. Most medical
experts believe that the lingering symptoms are the result of
residual damage to tissues Similar as complications of "auto–
immune" Diseases .
Post-Treatment Lyme
Disease Syndrome

15. 
 Approximately 10 to 20% of patients (particularly
those who were diagnosed later), who received
appropriate antibiotic treatment, may have persistent
or recurrent symptoms and are considered to have
Post-treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS).
Prognosis

16. 
 http://www.lymedisease.org/lyme-basics/lyme-
disease/
 http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/
References

17. 