What Causes Lyme Disease - Discussion

Are you wondering what causes Lyme disease?

Lyme disease is an infection caused by a single-celled microorganism that has no distinct nuclei. These various species which have no organized cell structure are called bacterium, and are responsible for fermentation, decay, nitrogen fixation, and several plant and animal diseases.

The Lyme disease is carried by parasites found in the north-eastern and north-central US known as deer ticks, and along the Pacific Coast (mostly Oregon and California) known as the western black-legged ticks. They are not big (size of sesame seeds) and, through their bite, they are what causes Lyme disease to be spread to animals and humans alike.

This bacterial infection is recognized by a skin rash that generally resembles a bull's eye target, swollen joints, and symptoms similar to the flu (fever, headache, muscle pain and / or stiffness, and joint discomfort and swelling). Sometimes, it is misdiagnosed because the sufferer may not have noticed a tick (size, etc.), or because symptoms so closely resemble those of other conditions (over 300 conditions, some psychiatric). It is only in the later stages that lab tests can confirm the disease.

In the early stages of Lyme disease, antibiotics are the standard chosen medical treatment, but if not treated, the disease can cause problems with not only the joints, but the heart and nervous system as well. Lyme disease is found in other parts of the US (less common), as well as in countries such as Europe, Australia and Asia.

Borreliosis, another common term for Lyme disease, in the US is the most typical tick-borne infectious disease and has a characteristic skin rash known as erythema migrans. An early diagnosis is based on physical findings and the possibility of a tick bite, as well as other symptoms.

As part of learning what causes Lyme disease, it would also be interesting to know where it originated, and how it got its name.

Lyme disease was first identified in the US in 1975 when a group of children near Old Lyme, Connecticut came down with symptoms of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. By studying the outbreak and conditions along with the timeline of disease onset (summer and early fall), arthropod transmission was suspected. In 1982, the tick was discovered to be a carrier of the disease and part of what causes Lyme disease transmission.

And it's not just ticks which are part of what causes Lyme disease transmission. Other than ticks, Lyme disease is believed to be also carried and / or transmitted by other insects such as mites, fleas and mosquitoes. An infected mother can pass the disease to her nursing infant, and it can also be passed via a blood transfusion.

Symptoms can start from days to months to years after a bite, making it imperative for removal as soon as you notice there is attachment. This is also important when you realize infected ticks do not begin to spread the disease until after about 36 hours of attachment.

If Lyme disease continues to go untreated, serious complications can develop over time. Outside of the more serious medical complications, there can be a tingling or numbness in the hands and feet, poor memory or inability to gather and focus on thoughts, and even weakened facial muscles mimicking a light stroke or paralysis.

It can also mimic such conditions as AIDS, Alzheimer's disease, bipolar disorder, epilepsy, depression, hepatitis, vertigo, fibromyalgia, and the bite of the brown recluse spider.

Having read about what causes Lyme disease, you can learn more about this condition by reading the other related Lyme disease articles and pages.

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