The incidence of Lyme disease in Europe is highest in the Scandinavian and Baltic states in northern Europe and in Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, and Slovenia in central Europe.
What diseases are caused by Lyme disease?
Untreated Lyme disease can cause:
- Chronic joint inflammation (Lyme arthritis), particularly of the knee
- Neurological symptoms, such as facial palsy and neuropathy
- Cognitive defects, such as impaired memory
- Heart rhythm irregularities
What happens if lyme disease goes untreated for years?
If Lyme disease is not diagnosed and treated early, the spirochetes can spread and may go into hiding in different parts of the body. Weeks, months or even years later, patients may develop problems with the brain and nervous system, muscles and joints, heart and circulation, digestion, reproductive system, and skin.
Is Lyme disease really a new epidemic?
New populations of deer ticks rapidly become infected with the Lyme disease bacterium as soon as they are established. The rate of Lyme disease spread has been slow compared to mosquito-borne West Nile virus, yet the current epidemic of Lyme disease is steadily increasing. It is estimated to be spreading 30 kilometers per year.
What does Lyme disease do to a person?
- Occurs in approximately 70 to 80 percent of infected persons
- Begins at the site of a tick bite after a delay of 3 to 30 days (average is about 7 days)
- Expands gradually over several days reaching up to 12 inches or more (30 cm) across
- May feel warm to the touch but is rarely itchy or painful
Where are ticks found in Europe?
Ticks are abundant in woodlands all across Europe from early spring to late autumn. They live by sucking blood from animals and occasionally bite humans.
What region is most affected by Lyme disease?
Lyme disease is the most commonly reported tick-borne illness in the United States. Infections predominantly occur in the Northeast and north-central portions of the United States (Figure 16-1).
What is Lyme disease called in Europe?
Borreliosis, also known as Lyme disease, is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected ticks.
Is there Lyme disease in Germany?
Lyme disease is an infectious disease caused by bacteria. It can be transmitted by ticks. In Germany, about 3 out of 10,000 people develop Lyme disease each year.
What climate is best for Lyme disease?
Climate Change: What it Means for Lyme Disease The ideal habitat for these disease-carrying ticks is one with 85% humidity and a temperature higher than 45°F.
Are ticks a problem in Europe?
Lyme disease is endemic in parts of the UK. Central Europe is the region with the highest tick infection rates in Europe, specifically in Austria, the Czech Republic, southern Germany, Switzerland, Slovakia and Slovenia [16]. Lyme Disease is the most common tick borne disease in Europe and in the UK.
What race is more prone to Lyme disease?
In the United States, the incidence of Lyme disease is considered to be disproportionately high among Whites because of risk of exposure.
Is Lyme disease common in Italy?
Is there Lyme disease in Italy? According to the Italian Health Ministry the most affected regions are in the north: Friuli Venezia Giulia, Liguria, Veneto, Emilia Romagna and Trentino Alto Adige, while the south of Italy reported few cases.
Why are certain regions at higher risk of Lyme disease?
U.S. workers in the northeastern and north-central States are at highest risk of exposure to infected ticks. Ticks may also transmit other tick-borne diseases to workers in these and other regions of the country. Worksites with woods, bushes, high grass, or leaf litter are likely to have more ticks.
Why is Lyme disease less common in the South?
Tick infection prevalence declines north to south largely because of high tick infestation of efficient spirochete reservoir hosts (rodents and shrews) in the north but not in the south.
What state is most common for Lyme disease?
Lyme Disease Maps: Most Recent YearLocationIncidence category2019 ConfirmedCaliforniaLow incidence82ColoradoLow incidence8ConnecticutHigh incidence795DelawareHigh incidence61947 more rows
Why is Lyme disease only in Northeast?
It's the heat and the humidity. Summary: When it's hot and not too muggy, Lyme disease-bearing black-legged ticks avoid desiccation by hiding out where people don't tread. Scientists say that's why the illness is rare in the South, and may eventually fade out along the Mason-Dixon line.
What ticks spread Lyme disease?
In Europe, Ixodes ricinus ticks may spread the bacteria more quickly. In North America, the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, B. bissettiae, and B. mayonii cause Lyme disease. In Europe and Asia, Borrelia afzelii, Borrelia garinii, B. spielmanii, and 4 other species also cause of the disease.
Why is lyme disease a long lived disease?
Exposure to the Borrelia bacterium during Lyme disease possibly causes a long-lived and damaging inflammatory response, a form of pathogen-induced autoimmune disease. The production of this reaction might be due to a form of molecular mimicry, where Borrelia avoids being killed by the immune system by resembling normal parts of the body's tissues.
Why is lyme disease a pathogen?
Exposure to the Borrelia bacterium during Lyme disease possibly causes a long-lived and damaging inflammatory response, a form of pathogen-induced autoimmune disease. The production of this reaction might be due to a form of molecular mimicry, where Borrelia avoids being killed by the immune system by resembling normal parts of the body's tissues.
What is the frequency of lyme disease?
Prevention of tick bites (clothing the limbs, DEET ), doxycycline. Medication. Doxycycline, amoxicillin, ceftriaxone, cefuroxime. Frequency. 365,000 per year. Lyme disease, also known as Lyme borreliosis, is a vector-borne disease caused by the Borrelia bacterium which is spread by ticks in the genus Ixodes.
How is lyme disease transmitted?
Lyme disease is transmitted to humans by the bites of infected ticks of the genus Ixodes. In the United States, ticks of concern are usually of the Ixodes scapularis type, and must be attached for at least 36 hours before the bacteria can spread. In Europe, Ixodes ricinus ticks may spread the bacteria more quickly.
How rare is a tick bite?
Tick bites often go unnoticed because of the small size of the tick in its nymphal stage, as well as tick secretions that prevent the host from feeling any itch or pain from the bite. However, transmission is quite rare, with only about 1.2 to 1.4 percent of recognized tick bites resulting in Lyme disease.
How long does it take for lyme disease to show symptoms?
The incubation period from infection to the onset of symptoms is usually one to two weeks but can be much shorter (days), or much longer (months to years).
What is the most common type of lyme disease?
The most common tick-borne illness in these regions, Lyme disease is transmitted by the bite of an infected black-legged tick, commonly known as a deer tick.
How long does it take for a deer tick to transmit lyme disease?
In most cases, to transmit Lyme disease, a deer tick must be attached for 36 to 48 hours. If you find an attached tick that looks swollen, it may have fed long enough to transmit bacteria. Removing the tick as soon as possible might prevent infection.
How long does it take for a tick to get lyme disease?
Lyme infection is unlikely if the tick is attached for less than 36 to 48 hours.
What does a red bump on a tick bite mean?
This normal occurrence doesn't indicate Lyme disease.
What is the life cycle of a deer tick?
Deer tick. The deer tick (Ixodes scapularis) goes through three life stages. Shown from left to right is the adult female, adult male, nymph and larva on a centimeter scale. In the United States, Lyme disease is caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi and Borrelia mayonii, carried primarily by black-legged or deer ticks.
How do you get lyme disease?
The most common tick-borne illness in these regions, Lyme disease is transmitted by the bite of an infected black-legged tick, commonly known as a deer tick. You're more likely to get Lyme disease if you live or spend time in grassy and heavily wooded areas where ticks carrying Lyme disease thrive.
How long does it take for lyme disease to show?
If untreated, new signs and symptoms of Lyme infection might appear in the following weeks to months. These include:
How to confirm ATBF?
ATBF can be confirmed using IFA or detection of Rickettsial DNA by PCR of eschar swab, skin biopsy, or whole blood. See R.parkeri rickettsiosis.
How to prevent tick bites?
Like other tick-borne diseases, you can reduce your risk of TBE by using EPA-registered insect repellents and treating clothing and gear with products containing 0.5% permethrin to prevent tick bites. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has recently licensed a vaccine for TBE. An Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) Work Group is currently reviewing the data on this TBE vaccine and TBE cases among U.S. residents who travel abroad and laboratory workers. This Work Group will be developing vaccine recommendations for the U.S. population for consideration by ACIP in the coming months. Final recommendations will be posted here so please check back for updates.
What is ATBF transmitted by?
ATBF is transmitted by Amblyomma hebraeum and A. variegatum ticks. Travel-associated cases of ATBF often occur in clusters with exposure during activities such as safari tours, game hunting, and bush hiking.
How long does TBE last?
Usually lasts for several days and may be followed by an afebrile and relatively asymptomatic period.
How is lyme disease transmitted?
Outside North America, Lyme disease is transmitted through the bite of infected Ixodes ricinus and I. persulcatus ticks.
Is ATBF a disease?
ATBF is typically a mild-to-moderate disease; no known deaths are attributable to infection with R. africae. ATBF is almost always associated with an inoculation eschar (see R. parkeri rickettsiosis) at the site of tick attachment. Multiple eschars are described in approximately 20–50% of patients with ATBF.
Where is TBE most prevalent?
Endemic in focal areas of Europe and Asia, extending from eastern France to northern Japan and from northern Russia to Bulgaria. The highest disease incidence has been reported from western Siberia, Slovenia, and the Baltic States. Asian countries with reported cases or virus activity include China, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, and South Korea. TBE may also be acquired by ingestion of unpasteurized dairy products from infected goats, sheep, or cows.
What genospecies are B. burgdorferi?
Additional B. burgdorferi sensu lato genospecies suspected of causing illness, but not confirmed by culture, include B. japonica, B. tanukii and B. turdae (Japan); B. sinica (China); and B. andersonii (U.S.). Some of these species are carried by ticks not currently recognized as carriers of Lyme disease.
What is the species complex of Borrelia burgdorferi?
Borrelia species in the species complex known to cause Lyme disease are collectively called Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato ( s.l.) not to be confused with the single species in that complex Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto which is responsible for all cases of Lyme disease in North America.
What is the cause of lyme disease?
Borrelia burgdorferi one of the causative species of Lyme disease (borreliosis). Magnified 400 times. Lyme disease, or borreliosis, is caused by spirochetal bacteria from the genus Borrelia, which has 52 known species. Three main species ( Borrelia garinii, Borrelia afzelii, and Borrelia burgdorferi s.s.) are the main causative agents ...
Why is Borrelia slow growing?
Borrelia are microaerophilic and slow-growing—the primary reason for the long delays when diagnosing Lyme disease— and have been found to have greater strain diversity than previously estimated. The strains differ in clinical symptoms and/or presentation as well as geographic distribution.
How many copies of the ospC gene are there?
While each individual bacterial cell contains just one copy of the ospC gene, the gene sequence of ospC among different strains within each of the three major Lyme disease species is highly variable. OspC plays an essential role during the early stage of mammalian infection.
Which genospecies cause lyme disease?
Until recently, only three genospecies were thought to cause Lyme disease (borreliosis): B. burgdorferi s.s. (the predominant species in North America, but also present in Europe ); B. afzelii; and B. garinii (both predominant in Eurasia ).
How many different genomic groups are there for lyme disease?
Thirteen distinct genomic classifications of Lyme disease bacteria have been identified worldwide. These include but are not limited to B. burgdorferi s.s., B. afzelii, B. garinii, B. valaisana, B. lusitaniae, B. andersoni, 25015, DN127, CA55, 25015, HK501, B. miyamotoi, and B. japonica. Many of these genomic groups are country or continent specific. For example, without migration, B. japonica is only prevalent in the eastern hemisphere.
Overview
Lyme disease, also known as Lyme borreliosis, is a vector-borne disease caused by the Borrelia bacterium, which is spread by ticks in the genus Ixodes. The most common sign of infection is an expanding red rash, known as erythema migrans (EM), which appears at the site of the tick bite about a week afterwards. The rash is typically neither itchy nor painful. Approximately 70–80% of infected pe…
Signs and symptoms
Lyme disease can affect several body systems and produce a broad range of symptoms. Not everyone with Lyme disease has all of the symptoms and many of the symptoms are not specific to Lyme disease but can occur with other diseases as well.
The incubation period from infection to the onset of symptoms is usually one t…
Cause
Lyme disease is caused by spirochetes, spiral bacteria from the genus Borrelia. Spirochetes are surrounded by peptidoglycan and flagella, along with an outer membrane similar to Gram-negative bacteria. Because of their double-membrane envelope, Borrelia bacteria are often mistakenly described as Gram negative despite the considerable differences in their envelope components fr…
Pathophysiology
B. burgdorferi can spread throughout the body during the course of the disease, and has been found in the skin, heart, joints, peripheral nervous system, and central nervous system. B. Burgdorferi does not produce toxins. Therefore, many of the signs and symptoms of Lyme disease are a consequence of the immune response to spirochete in those tissues.
B. burgdorferi is injected into the skin by the bite of an infected Ixodes tick. Tick saliva, which ac…
Diagnosis
Lyme disease is diagnosed based on symptoms, objective physical findings (such as erythema migrans (EM) rash, facial palsy, or arthritis), history of possible exposure to infected ticks, and possibly laboratory tests. People with symptoms of early Lyme disease should have a total body skin examination for EM rashes and asked whether EM-type rashes had manifested within the last 1–2 months. Presence of an EM rash and recent tick exposure (i.e., being outdoors in a likely tic…
Prevention
Tick bites may be prevented by avoiding or reducing time in likely tick habitats and taking precautions while in and when getting out of one.
Most Lyme human infections are caused by Ixodes nymph bites between April and September. Ticks prefer moist, shaded locations in woodlands, shrubs, tall grasses and leaf litter or wood piles. Tick densities tend to be highest in woodl…
Vaccination
No human vaccines for Lyme disease are currently available. The only human vaccine to advance to market was LYMErix, which was available briefly before being pulled from the market in 2002. The vaccine candidate VLA15 is scheduled to start a phase 3 trial in the third quarter of 2022, and other research is ongoing. Multiple vaccines are available for the prevention of Lyme disease in dogs.
Treatment
Antibiotics are the primary treatment. The specific approach to their use is dependent on the individual affected and the stage of the disease. For most people with early localized infection, oral administration of doxycycline is widely recommended as the first choice, as it is effective against not only Borrelia bacteria but also a variety of other illnesses carried by ticks. People taking doxycycline should avoid sun exposure because of higher risk of sunburns. Doxycycline i…