Lyme disease: symptoms, treatment, prevention

On the symptoms, treatment and consequences of lyme disease (tick-borne borreliosis)

Borreliosis, or Lyme disease, is an infectious disease of a bacterial nature. Infection with spiraling bacteria of the species Borrelia burgdorferi occurs when the bite is immature parasitiform ticks.

Insects no larger than a poppy seed are so small that a painless bite for many people remains unnoticed. The tick is attached to the skin and can feed on human blood for several days.

The longer it parasitizes, the higher the probability of infection with borreliosis and concomitant pathogenic infections.

The habitat of these tiny arachnids are forest tracts and grassy thickets around the world, mainly in the northern hemisphere. They do not occur only in Antarctica.

All age categories are subject to the disease. Most of all, it is common among children, the elderly, and people spending a lot of time in the open air. On the territory of our state, 7-10 thousand people are officially registered every year. cases in the US, this figure reaches 300 thousand.

According to the leading world parasitologists, the actual picture of the incidence of borreliosis is much wider. Lyme disease with untimely detection and treatment is often confused with other pathologies.

In chronic course, diagnosis is difficult, and the spectrum of manifestations of the disease is very diverse.

From the patient to a healthy person, the infection is not transmitted, but transplacental penetration of the borrelia from the pregnant woman to the fetus is not excluded.

This can serve as an explanation for registering a fairly large number of cases of illness in children in pre-school and junior school age.

Symptoms and clinical picture of borreliosis

Only 25-30% of patients with Lyme disease notice and remember the episode with a tick bite.

Most often, the symptoms of the onset of the disease are ignored and are written off for the flu, so especially it should alert the ARVI disease outside the season.

Redness of the skin at the site of bite is the main, but not necessarily a sign of infection with borreliosis. In almost half of cases, this symptom is absent, or manifests atypical ways.

A characteristic form of redness is a spot in the form of a target with a densified center and an annular structure around (wandering erythema), which is then capable of increasing to 15-20 cm in diameter.

According to the California education and advocacy and research organization LymeDisease.org, the early The signs accompanying Lyme disease develop usually within 1-2 weeks after the bite and in addition to skin manifestations, include in itself:

• symptoms similar to a cold, in 60% of cases - fever, weakness, swollen lymph nodes in the submandibular zone, sore throat;
• shooting muscular pain, interfering with sleep - at 54%;
• pain and swelling in large joints - 48%;
• severe headaches in 44%;
• dizziness in 30% of cases, stiffness in the cervical spine and rigidity of the neck muscles;
• shortness of breath, heart palpitations, pain in the chest, fainting - 10%;
• reduced tonus of facial muscles, paralysis of the facial nerve - in 4%.

In the late course of Lyme disease, the symptoms acquire a nonspecific character and are suitable for a number of common diseases.

Depending on the functional lesions caused by bacterial infection, borreliosis must be separated from articular pathologies, heart failure and other disorders.

A characteristic and common symptom of borreliosis in the chronic stage is the onset benign lymphocytoma, - a tumor-like formation on the earlobe of the auricle, near the nipple, scrotum.

In severe cases, Lyme disease manifests itself by the following symptoms:

• chronic fatigue - in 48% of cases;
• deterioration of sleep - insomnia or vice versa, constant drowsiness - 41%;
• muscular-articular pains, similar to manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatism, scleroderma, etc. - in 39%;
• mental disorders - sudden changes in mood, depression - 34%;
• decrease in mental efficiency and memory - 32%;
• diseases of the nervous system (meningitis, encephalitis, etc.), numbness, sensation of tingling, cold or heat on the skin - 32%;
• persistent or systemic headaches - in 23%;
• cardiovascular problems (peri- and myocarditis, cardiac rhythm disturbances) - in 10%.

Lesion of joints

The most frequent functional disorder accompanying borreliosis is the defeat of the musculoskeletal system. There is migrating arthralgia, in which the localization of joint pain is constantly changing, myalgia with muscle soreness, symptoms of joint inflammation.

And the inflammatory process involves all parts of the joint with a gradual destruction of bone and cartilaginous tissue. The degree of joint damage and the duration of the flow distinguish between early and late arthritis.

On average, 70% of borreliosis infected with the first signs of abnormalities in the functioning of the musculoskeletal system are noted 3-4 months after the tick bite. In other cases, pain occurs in the late stages of the disease.

Clinically, the pathology manifests itself as a single outbreak of arthritis, as well as a chronic recession with periodic exacerbations.

The appearance of erythema at the site of a tick bite gives reason to think first of all of the infection with borreliosis. 100% of the exact laboratory criteria for identifying the causative agents of Lyme disease for today does not exist. Typical diagnostic tests have low sensitivity.

Borreliosis suppresses the immune system, and in the presence of disease in 20-30% of cases, antibodies to infection tests show a false negative result.

First of all, careful collection of clinical data is taken into account - accompanying symptoms in the early and late stages, the fact or probability of a tick bite in the epidemiological zone.

Laboratory indicators are used as an additional diagnostic tool, but do not talk about the reliability of the diagnosis.

In this case, the determination is used in the serum, articular and cerebrospinal fluids of antibodies by the methods of ELISA, RNIF, PCR, immunoblot.

In the early stages, they are not informative in about half the cases, so the study of paired sera with an interval of 20-30 days is used.

It is also used to isolate the culture of Borrelia from affected tissues and biological fluids using the Wartin-Starry method.

Despite the results of the tests, the presence of an important symptom - migrating erythema after a tick bite - is an indicator for immediate treatment of Lyme disease.

Delay leads to sad consequences, and with infectious lesions of the heart - and to a lethal outcome.

Treatment of Lyme disease

Lyme disease is treated with antimicrobial drugs. To avoid serious consequences of the disease, the selection of medications and treatment regimens is carried out individually, and only by an infectious disease doctor.

It is worth noting that there is no specific means that are selectively aimed at combating Borrelia. In case of ineffectiveness, treatment tactics and / or the selected antibiotic are changed until the result is achieved - in particular, until the symptoms of the disease disappear and no relapse occurs.

The following are used as antibacterial agents:

• doxycycline,
• amoxicillin,
• penicillin,
• azithromycin,
• ceftriaxone,
• cefotaxime,
• ampicillin,
• Unidox solute,
• sumamed and others.

Duration of treatment can take from 5 days to a month, in rare cases more.

If the therapy of tick-borne borreliosis with antibacterial drugs is begun already at stage 1, then the probability the transition of Lyme disease to stages 2, 3 and the emergence of severe consequences in the form of neurological, cardiac and articular complications.

In severe stages of the disease, a stationary mode is shown under 24-hour medical control. To maintain the balance of the intestinal microflora and reduce the risk of additional health problems during treatment, it is important to take probiotics.

Prognosis of cure and prevention

In most cases, complete recovery and recovery is 1-2 months after the start of treatment.

The tick shows up in May, June, September and October, and the number of bites increases in wet weather - on the eve of rain or on cloudy days.

The best remedy in the fight against borreliosis is prevention. Therefore, observe the following measures when visiting the habitat of parasites:

• for a walk in the forest, park, work in the garden, wear tight clothing, excluding the crawling of mites on the skin, shoes should be closed, and the head covered;
• use insect repellent repellents; After a stay in nature, check all open areas of the skin for the presence of sucking ticks and characteristic rashes;
• when an insect is detected, carefully remove it or immediately contact a medical institution for this, the tick must be taken to the laboratory for examination;
• if the laboratory results did not show the presence of infections, then to completely exclude the possibility of the disease, make a blood test for antibodies to Borrelia 3-4 weeks after the bite.

A source: http://pomogispine.com/zabolevaniya/bolezn-lajma-borrelioz.html

Lyme disease

Lyme disease - (lime borreliosis, tick-borne borreliosis) is a natural focal infectious disease, the carrier of which is an ixodid tick.

Lyme disease is characterized by a complex of skin and systemic manifestations, prone to chronic current. According to statistics, every third mite studied is infected. Lyme disease is widespread in North America, Europe and Asia.

The disease was named after Lime (Connecticut, USA), where in 1975 there was an outbreak of infection, including such manifestations as arthritis, carditis, meningitis. In Russia, 6-8 thousand people are registered annually. new cases of tick-borne borreliosis.

Lyme disease can occur at any age, but is more often diagnosed in children and adolescents under 15 years, as well as adults aged 25-44.

In connection with a wide range of clinical manifestations, tick-borne borreliosis is a clinical interest not only for infectious diseases, but also for dermatology, neurology, cardiology, rheumatology and others.

Causes of Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is caused by gram-negative spirochaetes of the genus Borrelia of three kinds: B. burgdorferi (dominates in the USA), Borrelia garinii and Borrelia afzelii (prevail in Europe and Russia).

Borrelia enter the human body mainly by the transmission route, with the bites of infected ticks (pasture, forest, taiga) belonging to the genus Ixodes.

The causative agent penetrates into the blood with the tick saliva or its feces (with combs of the bite sites).

Less common is the alimentary route of infection (for example, with raw cow and goat milk) or transplacental transmission of Borrelia.

The reservoir and source of spread of Lyme disease are domestic and wild animals. The risk of contracting Lyme disease increases in the spring-summer period (the season of tick activity lasts from April to October).

Risk factors include visits to forests and forest park areas, as well as long-term (more than 12-24 hours) presence of an infected tick on the skin.

After the transferred Lyme disease, unstable immunity is produced; a few years later, repeated infection with tick borreliosis is possible.

From the primary focus with the current of lymph and blood, Borrelia spread throughout the body, causing a cascade of immunopathological reactions in various organs, mainly the central nervous system, joints, and the heart.

Classification of Lyme disease

In the clinical course of Lyme disease, the early period (stages I-II) and the late period (stage III) are distinguished:

• I- stage of local infection (erythema and aneurysm forms)
• II- the stage of dissemination (variants of the course - febrile, neuritic, meningeal, cardiac, mixed)
• III- stage of persistence (chronic Lym-arthritis, chronic atrophic acrodermatitis, etc.).

In terms of severity of pathological reactions, Lyme disease can occur in mild, moderate, severe and extremely severe form.

After the end of the incubation period (about 7-14 days), there comes the stage of a local infection characterized by cutaneous manifestations and intoxication syndrome.

At the site of the tick bite appears an itchy, slightly painful papule of red color, prone to peripheral growth (migratory tick-borne erythema).

As the reddening zone expands, the migrating erythema becomes a 10-20 cm diameter ring with a bright red corolla at the edges and a pale central part.

In most cases, migrating erythema in Lyme disease is spontaneously resolved within 1-2 months, and in its place there is a weak pigmentation and peeling.

Local manifestations of Lyme disease are accompanied by a general infectious syndrome: fever with chills, headache, arthralgia, pain in bones and muscles, marked weakness. Among the other symptoms in stage I, there may be hives, conjunctivitis, regional lymphadenitis, runny nose, pharyngitis.

Within the next 3-5 months, the disseminated stage of Lyme disease develops. In the absence of a disease, tick-borne borreliosis can immediately manifest from systemic manifestations.

Among the neurological syndromes for Lyme disease, the most typical are serous meningitis, encephalitis, peripheral radiculoneuritis, facial neuritis, myelitis, cerebral ataxia, and others.

During this period, Lyme disease manifestations may include a pulsating headache, photophobia, myalgia, neuralgia, a significant fatigue, sleep and memory disorders, disorders of skin sensitivity and hearing, lacrimation, peripheral paralysis and paresis and and so forth.

Cardiac syndrome in Lyme disease in most cases is represented by atrioventricular blockades of various degrees, rhythm disorders, myocarditis, pericarditis, dilated cardiomyopathy.

Joints are affected by migrating myalgia and arthralgia, bursitis, tendinitis, arthritis (usually in the form of monoarthritis of the large joint, rarely - symmetric polyarthritis).

In addition, the course of the disseminated stage of Lyme disease can include skin lesions (multiple migrating erythema, lymphocyte), the genitourinary system (proteinuria, microhematuria, orchitis), eye (conjunctivitis, iritis, chorioretinitis), respiratory tract (angina, bronchitis), digestive system (hepatitis, hepatolienal syndrome), etc.

In the chronic form (stage of persistence) Lyme's disease passes through 6 months - 2 years after the acute stage.

In the late period of Lyme disease, lesions occur most often in the form of atrophic acrodermatitis or benign lymphoplasia or joint damage (chronic arthritis).

Atrophic acrodermatitis is characterized by the appearance of edematous erythematous foci on the skin of the extremities, where atrophic changes develop over time. The skin becomes thin, wrinkled, on it appear telangiectasias and scleroderm-like changes.

Benign lymphocytoma has the form of a reddish-cyanotic node or plaques with rounded outlines. It is usually localized on the skin of the face, the auricles, axillary or inguinal area; in rare cases can be transformed into malignant lymphoma.

In its clinical course, arthritis in the late stage of Lyme disease resembles rheumatoid arthritis, Reiter's disease, Bekhterev's disease, and others.

In the late stages of chronic arthritis radiographically revealed thinning of cartilage, osteoporosis, marginal usuras.

In addition to skin and joint syndromes, the chronic stage of Lyme disease can develop neurological syndromes: encephalopathy, chronic encephalomyelitis, polyneuropathy, ataxia, chronic fatigue syndrome, dementia.

With transplacental infection, pregnancy can result in intrauterine fetal death and miscarriage.

In viable children, intrauterine infection leads to prematurity, causes the formation of congenital heart defects (aortic stenosis, aortic coarctation, endocardial fibroelastosis), delayed psychomotor development.

When conducting diagnosis of Lyme disease, epidemiological history (visit to forest massifs, park areas, the fact of tick bites) and early clinical manifestations (migratory erythema, influenza-like syndrome).

Depending on the stage of tick-borne borreliosis to identify the pathogen in biological media (blood serum, synovial fluid, cerebrospinal fluid, skin biopsy) use microscopy, serological reactions (ELISA or RIF) and PCR-study. To assess the severity of organ-specific lesions, radiography of joints, ECG, EEG, diagnostic puncture of joints, lumbar puncture, skin biopsy, etc. can be performed.

Differential diagnosis of Lyme disease is carried out with a wide range of diseases: serous meningitis, tick-borne encephalitis, rheumatoid and reactive arthritis, Reiter's disease, neuritis, rheumatism, dermatitis, mug. It should be borne in mind that false positive serological reactions can be observed in patients with syphilis, infectious mononucleosis, recurrent typhoid, rheumatic diseases.

Treatment of Lyme disease

Patients with Lyme disease are hospitalized in an infectious hospital. Drug therapy is performed taking into account the stage of the disease.

At an early stage, antibiotics of the tetracycline series (tetracycline, doxycycline) are usually prescribed for 14 days, amoxicillin may be taken.

In the course of Lyme disease in the II or III stage and the development of joint, neurological and cardiac lesions, it is advisable to use penicillins or cephalosporins for a course of 21-28 days.

Pathogenetic treatment for Lyme disease depends on the clinical manifestations and their severity.

Thus, with general infectious symptoms, detoxification therapy is indicated; with arthritis - NSAIDs, analgesics, physiotherapy; with meningitis - dehydration therapy.

In severe systemic course of Lyme disease, glucocorticoids are administered inside or in the form of vnutriosustavnyh injections (with synovitis).

Prognosis and prevention of Lyme disease

Early or preventive antibiotic therapy can prevent the transition of Lyme disease to a disseminated or chronic stage.

With delayed diagnosis or development of severe CNS lesions, persistent residual phenomena appear leading to disability; possible fatal outcome.

Within a year after the end of treatment, those infected with Lyme disease should be registered with an infectious disease specialist, a neurologist, a cardiologist, an arthrologist to prevent the infection from becoming chronic.

To prevent infection with tick borreliosis, when visiting forests, wear protective clothing; use repellents repelling ticks; After a walk through the forest, carefully inspect the skin for possible introduction of a blood-sucking of an insect.

When a tick is found, it must be removed by hand using tweezers or contact the nearest injury clinic for appropriate manipulation by the surgeon. The extracted tick must be taken to the Sanitary and Epidemiological Laboratory to conduct an express test for Borrelia using dark-field microscopy. Preventive anti-maltreatment of forests and forest park zones has not lost its relevance.

A source: http://www.krasotaimedicina.ru/diseases/infectious/lyme-disease

Lyme disease - symptoms, prevention, treatment

In 1975, in the small town of Lyme, the first studies of an infectious disease began, called tick-borne borreliosis (Lyme disease). It is caused by spirochetes and transmitted by ticks of the genus Ixodes dammini.

Most often in the capacity of carriers of these parasites are domestic animals and livestock, but a considerable contribution to the process spread of infection, and rats with mice, whose body is a real incubator for immature ticks.

In the vast majority of cases, Lyme disease has a chronic and recurrent nature of the course. The disease affects the skin, nervous system, musculoskeletal system and heart.

In an organism of the person the infection gets at bites of the infected ticks. They are most active in the summer.

Accordingly, the risk of catching Lyme disease (borreliosis) increases precisely in the warm months by analogy with tick-borne encephalitis.

Outbreaks of Lyme disease are regularly recorded in all regions of the Russian Federation, therefore, about elementary precautions in Every person should remember the time of summer holiday, regardless of where he lives - in Siberia or in Krasnodar edge.

What happens after a tick bite?

Infection occurs during a tick bite. With the saliva of the parasite, borrelia fall under the skin and begin to multiply intensively. Over time, they spread to other areas of the skin and penetrate into the internal organs.

If Lyme disease is suspected, the patient should begin treatment as soon as possible, since the mites have a property persist in the body of the carrier for many years, causing the occurrence of relapses and the chronic nature of the disease Lyme.

In many ways, borreliosis is similar to the symptoms of syphilis.

Lyme disease - symptoms and clinical picture

In 70% of cases, a red spot appears on the site of the bite, which grows rapidly, often reaching 30-40 cm in diameter. The spot may be irregular in shape, but, as a rule, it is oval or round.

At the same time, the outer edges of the inflamed skin are higher than the level of healthy skin.

Regardless of whether the person turned to the doctor or not - the spot will disappear in 2-3 weeks, and even after about, month Lyme disease (borreliosis) manifests itself in the form of lesions of the central nervous system, heart and musculoskeletal apparatus. For this reason, any tick bite should be considered as a threat to life and health of a person, which entails an early referral to a doctor for a full survey.

Confirmation of the diagnosis of Lyme disease is carried out by means of a study of blood samples.

Lyme disease - treatment of the disease

The patient is referred to the infectious disease department of the hospital.

The main treatment measures are aimed at the destruction of borrelia, which helps to prevent the progression of Lyme disease and its transition into a chronic form.

Otherwise, Lyme disease leads to damage to vital systems of the body and disability.

In the early stages, the symptoms of Lyme disease can be successfully treated with antibiotics, but it should be borne in mind that such treatment will be effective only if the patient has no signs of fever and intoxication organism.

Of course, the choice of specific antibiotics and their dosage in Lyme disease should be determined only by an experienced doctor, taking into account the clinical manifestations of infection and the patient's condition. We just list the most well-known tools used by specialists in diagnosing Lyme disease. These include: amoxicillin, levomycetin, doxycycline, tetracycline, penicillin and levomycetin succinate.

After discharge from the hospital, patients are subject to compulsory medical examination. Surveys are conducted for 2 years after 3, 6, 12 months and 2 years from the end of treatment.

Prevention of Lyme Disease

To prevent bites of ticks, both direct (extermination of parasites in nature) and indirect (protective) measures are used.

We understand perfectly well that not everyone will dare wear special anti-glove costumes during the rest, but for these purposes it is also possible to adapt ordinary clothes.

If you do not want to pick up Lyme disease, then when leaving for the forest or in the country, tuck your shirt into your trousers, and trousers into boots or high boots. In addition, it is very desirable to wear long-sleeved shirts and tightly fit the cuffs.

If prevention does not help, then immediately after a bite, you need to see a doctor.

Remember that in the absence of treatment, Lyme disease can make you disabled, so do not count on luck and especially self-medication.

Believe me, the official medicine to cope with Lyme disease is much faster and more efficient than you.

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A source: http://www.neboleem.net/bolezn-laima.php

Lyme disease: symptoms and treatment

Lyme disease can be confused with the flu or allergy or take for arthritis or arthrosis.

This disease skillfully imitates many diseases and if it is not recognized in time it can lead to a wheelchair.

Heat, headache, a rash on the body, aches in joints and other signs of Lyme disease often mislead people. Addressing to the doctor, they do not suspect that they became victims of a tick bite infected with a dangerous bacterium. What is Lyme disease?

What causes the disease

Lyme disease is a disease that occurs after infection with the Borella bacterium from the spirochete group.

Penetrating into the body, microorganisms provoke very dangerous diseases, among them borreliosis, typhoid and even syphilis.

That's why there is another name for Lyme disease "tick-borne syphilis".

The official "status" among the medical people acquired the disease in 1981, when in the American city of Lyme after bites mites, an epidemic of arthritis has erupted in the population (before this, physicians took the symptoms of Borrelia for independent disease). It was then that scientists managed to establish that only one bacterium and all diagnoses caused the massive defeat of arthritis - the serious consequences of Lyme disease.

Ways of infection

The most dangerous for a person is a tiny mite-ixodes, which is on a nymphal (or immature) stage of development. The size of the tick does not exceed the poppy seed, so often the bite is painless - that's why most people do not even know that they have become victims of a tick.

The bitten insect lives in the human body for several days, transmitting pathogenic organisms to the circulatory system. Gradually, bacteria affect all vital organs, penetrate the brain, joints, and the cardiovascular system.

People of any age can "catch" an infected tick, but elderly people and children are a particular risk group. Very often borreliosis infects people who, due to their profession, are often in the wild. This is the huntsman, park rangers, hunters.

How is Lyme disease manifested?

Symptoms of Lyme disease in humans are manifested at different times. It can be, as one day, and one and a half-two months. But the average duration of the incubation period is 10 days. Official medicine identifies three stages of the disease:

1. For the first characters, symptoms resembling a flu or cold. Among them: headaches, weakness, joint and muscle pain, febrile condition, fever or chills.
2. In the second stage, the nervous system is affected, the heart and blood vessels suffer, hives appear. Defects of eyeballs, kidneys and liver can be diagnosed.
3. At the third stage, the patient has a general strong weakness, sleep disturbances. The person gets tired or, on the contrary, quickly becomes overexcited.

If the disease was not recognized within six months or two, it becomes chronic and strongly "beats" the body, gradually destroying it from the inside. Diseases occur against a background of chronic lesions:

1. Diseases of the joints (arthritis, arthrosis, rheumatism).
2. Diseases of the skin (dermatitis, lymphoplasia).
3. Meningitis.
4. Diseases of the heart (up to the heart defect).

Launched cases of borreliosis are the direct path to disability. That's why physicians consider it very important to quickly diagnose lyme disease, carefully examine all the symptoms and prescribe a treatment.

How to recognize Lyme disease

Usually, the doctor assigns the following types of examinations:

1. A blood test for the presence of pathogens in it.
2. ECG.
3. Puncture of the joints.
4. Skin biopsy.
5. X-ray.

It is necessary to specify the places of visiting the patient, the nature of the general course of the disease, and, in case Lyme disease is confirmed, the doctor decides: how to treat the patient.

Methods of treating Lyme disease

Traditional therapy of the disease necessarily includes taking antibiotics - it is believed that a short course, especially at an early stage, is able to quickly kill the infection. Usually, antibiotics are prescribed from the group of tetracyclines (for example, Doxycilin) ​​or Amoxicillin.

In the second and third stages of the disease, doctors can connect antibiotics based on penicillins and cephalosporins. The stronger the disease - the longer it is treated. At this stage, the course of taking medicines can be even a month. Required are:

1. Taking medicines against pain and inflammation.
2. Reception of drugs for the removal of intoxication.
3. Use of antiallergic drugs.
4. Application of physiotherapy.

To cure Lyme disease, all symptoms must be eliminated, and then treatment is recognized as successful (see. photo of the bite place).

But even after the full course of therapy the patient should register with an infectious disease specialist, neurologist, cardiologist and arthrologist - borreliosis has the property of returning even after prolonged remissions.

Can infection be avoided?

Lyme disease necessarily needs preventive maintenance because it is very difficult to recognize and heal pathology. What measures will help prevent the tick bite:

1. Use before the exit to the forest and the park special means against ticks.
2. After a walk, carefully study all the skin.
3. If you found a blood-sucking insect under the skin - remove it with tweezers or contact the emergency department.
4. Visit only forest park areas in cities - there is seasonal processing of areas from ticks.

Remember, success in the fight against Lyme disease depends only on the speed of going to the doctor.

And if the course of antibiotics at an early stage is able to almost completely defeat the disease, the neglected cases often result in serious consequences. Be careful on the walk and never get sick!

A source: http://GolMozg.ru/zabolevanie/bolezn-layma.html

Lyme disease - symptoms, photos, causes, pathogen, methods of treatment and prevention

Lyme disease is a transmissible disease caused by bacteria of the genus Borrelia. It is difficult to give an exhaustive answer about the prevalence of the disease.

Lyme disease in medical literature is called "a great imitator."

This name is due to the fact that the disease is accompanied by a polymorphism of symptoms, and patients turn to a dermatologist, neuropathologist, rheumatologist and rarely go to the infectious diseases room.

Lyme disease is registered in Europe, North America, Asia, Australia. There is a tendency to increase the incidence in the territory of Russia and Ukraine.

The susceptibility to Borrelia in humans is high.

So, Lyme's disease became known to such famous personalities as Ben Stiller, Christy Turlington, Richard Gere, Avril Lavigne, Ashley Olsen.

1. Causes 2. Symptoms of lyme disease - Symptoms of the first stage - Symptoms of the second stage - Symptoms of the third stage 3. Diagnostics 4. Treatment 5. Prevention

Causes

The causative agent of the disease is bacteria of the genus Borrelia (B.burgdorferi, B. afzelii, garinii), belonging to the family Spirochaetaceae.

The bearer of borrelia is the Ixodes ticks (I.ricinus, I.pacificus, I.damini).

The infected tick is contagious at any active stage of its life cycle: at the stage of the larva, the nymph or the sexually mature individual.

A person becomes infected with borrelia through a bite with an infected tick, when the wound gets on the skin of the arthropod.

Also, a contaminating transfer mechanism is inherent, when during the scratching of the skin a person rubs the contents of the squashed mite into the wound.

In addition, medical practices describe precedents of mother-to-child transmission through the placenta.

The rise in the incidence of Lyme disease is observed in the spring-autumn period, which, of course, is due to the high activity of ticks in this season. Ixodid mites live in forests, forest-park urban areas.

Symptoms of Lyme disease

The incubation period averages one to two weeks, but it can increase even up to a year. In the clinical picture of Lyme disease, it is common to distinguish three stages.

But it is worth noting that not all cases in an infected person develop all three stages.

Thus, in some patients the disease ends in the first stage, in others it becomes pronounced only in the third stage.

Symptoms of the first stage

At the site of the tick bite, there is a papule (nodule). Gradually, the reddening area expands around the periphery. The edges of the erythema are intensely red, somewhat rising above the skin.

In the center of the erythema, the skin is paler. The stain resembles a ring in appearance, which is why it was called migratory ring-shaped erythema.

This symptom occurs in approximately 60-80% of infected people.

Dimensions of erythema in diameter - 10-50 cm. Often, erythema is localized on the lower extremities, abdomen, lower back, neck, axilla and groin.

The spot persists for several days, then gradually fades, leaving pigmentation and peeling.

In some patients, a benign lymphocytoma appears - a moderately painful red compaction on the swollen skin. Most often, the lymphocytoma is localized in the ear lobes, nipples, face, genitals.

Borrelia from the primary site of the lesion spread through the lymphatic vessels to the regional lymph nodes. So, lymphadenopathy can be observed.

In addition, an infected person can complain of weakness, muscle and headaches, fever.

The duration of the first stage varies from three to thirty days. The outcome of this stage can be either recovery (with timely therapy started), or transition to the next stage.

Symptoms of the second stage

Borrelia are disseminated into organs and tissues. Thus, secondary erythema, a roseous or papular rash, new lymphocytomas can form on the skin.

The generalization of the infectious process is accompanied by headache, muscle pain, nausea (less often vomiting), in some cases, fever.

For this stage, there are such syndromes:

• Meningeal;
• Neurological;
• Cardiological.

More often the signs of the second stage appear in the fourth-fifth week and persist for several months.

Meningeal syndrome is a consequence of serous meningitis. This condition is characterized by fever, severe headache, pain when looking up, vomiting that does not bring relief, sensitivity to light, sound stimuli.

The rigidity of the occipital muscles and other typical meningeal signs are recorded.

Also, a person can develop encephalitis or encephalomyelitis, proceeding with paraparesis or tetraparesis. Neuritis of the cranial nerves, more often of the auditory and oculomotor nerves, is possible.

Lyme disease is characterized by lymphocytic meningoradiculoneuritis of Bannavart characterized by the development of cervico-thoracic radiculitis, meningitis with lymphocytic pleocytosis.

Cardiac syndrome is often formed on the fifth week of the disease and manifests itself as a violation of atrioventricular conduction, slowing or increasing heart rate, signs of myocarditis or pericarditis. It should be noted that the defeat of the heart is noted less often than the nervous system. In addition, conjunctivitis, iritis, tonsillitis, pharyngitis, bronchitis, hepatitis, splenitis can be observed.

At this stage of the disease, patients can note joint, muscle pains, but there are no signs of inflammation in the joints yet. Symptoms of the second stage of Lyme disease can occur without previous ring-shaped erythema, which greatly complicates the diagnosis of the disease.

Symptoms of the third stage

Symptoms of this stage appear rather late: after several months, and sometimes even years after infection. The most common lesions are joints (in 60% of patients), skin, heart and nervous system.

When Lyme disease is affected mainly large joints (elbows, knees). Affected joints are edematous and painful, there is a restriction of movements.

Characteristic symmetry of joint damage, the process has a recurrent nature.

A prolonged inflammatory process in joints and cartilage leads to destructive changes in them.

Chronic neurological lesions take the form of:

• Encephalitis;
• Polyneuropathy;
• Dementia;
• Ataxia;
• Memory disorders.

Skin manifestations are characterized by the development of acrodermatitis. This skin atrophy with local hyperpigmentation, often the process is localized on the limbs.

Diagnostics

Diagnosis of Lyme Disease is based on the data of the epidemic history (visiting the forest, tick bite), as well as the clinical picture. It is worth noting that many people do not even notice the tick bite at the time.

To confirm Lyme disease, a specific diagnosis is carried out. For example, such serological methods as ELISA and ELISA allow the detection of specific IgG and IgM antibodies in the blood.

With the help of PCR, lab technicians manage to determine Borrelia DNA in a skin biopsy, spinal and synovial fluids, and blood. PCR allows to avoid false results.

Treatment

In the treatment of patients with Lyme disease, etiotropic and pathogenetic therapy is used. It is also important to consider the stage of the disease.

Etiotropic treatment is carried out with the use of various antibiotics.

Thus, in the first stage of the disease, in the presence of erythema and without affecting the internal organs, tetracyclines, aminopenicillins, are administered orally.

Antibiotic therapy, started in the first stage of the disease, will prevent further progression of Lyme disease.

When the internal organs are damaged, patients are prescribed parenteral penicillins and cephalosporins (second-third generation). In the chronic form of infection, third generation cephalosporins and penicillins are prescribed.

Pathogenetic therapy is based on the existing concomitant lesions of internal organs.

So, with heart damage, with disorders that are not eliminated by taking antibiotics, prolonged meningitis, meningoencephalitis, prescribe corticosteroids.

With high fever, severe intoxication parenterally injected detoxification agents.

Prevention

When visiting the forest area (park area), general prevention is reduced to the use of repellents, wearing clothing that closes the body as much as possible.

In the case of a tick bite, immediately contact the clinic where it will be correctly extracted, examine the site of the bite and provide further monitoring of the health.

If a person is often in his own summer cottage, it will not be superfluous to produce acaricidal measures. After walking with a dog, you should carefully inspect the pet for the presence of a tick on the body.

After a tick bite in an endemic region, antibiotics of prolonged action are prescribed as an emergency prophylaxis (for example, bicillin-5 once intramuscularly at a dosage of 1500 thousand. ED).

A source: http://OkeyDoc.ru/simptomy-bolezni-lajma/