Lyme Disease Research Paper

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Lyme disease or Lyme Borreliosis is a serious infectious disease that is reported in many countries in the world. In 2013, the disease is claimed to be the fastest growing infectious disease in the United States with more than 300,000 cases reported from forty-nine states (CDC). This disease also afflicts 65,000 Europeans each year. Recent years’ reports show that there has been an dramatically increase in the number or Lyme disease incidences in both the United States and Europe (CDC, Pearson 88). The main reason for this increase is that the number of ticks carrying the bacteria causing Lyme disease – Borrelia – is rising. It is essential now for everyone to learn about the cause of this disease in order to be aware of the risks and to have…show more content…
These ticks are small blood-sucking arachnids that resemble small spiders. There are 25% or less of ticks are infected with Borrelia (Pearson 88). Black-legged ticks go through four parasitic stages of life. The first stage is the egg, the second is the larva, the third is the nymph, and the final stage is the adult stage. During the last two stages, ticks that are infectious with Borrelia bacteria can transmit it to animals and humans through blood-sucking. The ticks are generally very small and can easily attach to hard-to-see areas of the human body. Adult ticks are approximately the size of a sesame seed and are most active during the cooler months of the year. The nymphs are tiny (about 1.0 mm) and are most active in the spring and summer months (Karen S 64). The nymph stage ticks are believed to cause the most Lyme disease transmission because of its small size and its active time coinciding with human outdoor activities (Arsnoe, Isis, Hickling, Ginsberg, Mcelreath, and Tsao 2). Once attached to human skin, a tick may feed up to several days. Research shows that the process of transmitting the Borrelia bacteria from the tick to its host takes at least 12 hours (Pearson 89). As a result, in case of recognizing and removing the tick promptly, bitten people might have a chance to avoid the infection. However, as the tick bite is neither painful…show more content…
Research shows no cases of Borrelia bacteria transmitted through the air, food, water, or by other insects such as mosquitos, flies, or ticks that are not of the Ixodes family. There are no evidence of the disease get transmitted from human to human through talking, touching or other interactions. Although Lyme disease acquired during pregnancy can increase the possibility of stillbirth and miscarriage, no case of Lyme disease transmission from the mother to the baby has been reported. There is also no evidence of connection between Lyme disease and blood transfusion (“Transmission”
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