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What is Lyme?

"A Tick, one way we can get infected with Lyme and other Co-infections"

History of Lyme

Lyme disease was first reported in medical literature in Europe in 1883. The first case in the United States was in Wisconsin in 1969, years before it gained official recognition as a tick-borne illness in Lyme, Conn.  

The history of Lyme disease in Connecticut began in 1975 when a cluster of children and adults residing in the Lyme, Connecticut area all started experiencing strange arthritic symptoms.

A women named Polly Murray, was crucial in getting Lyme Disease recognized when she noticed not only her child but other children in her neighbourhood were all coming down with juvenile arthritis. She contacted authorities and went to the media. In 1977, there were 51 cases of Lyme arthritis, and eventually the Ixodes scapularis (black-legged) tick was linked to the transmission of the disease. Then in 1982, Willy Burgdorfer, Ph.D discovered the bacterium that causes Lyme disease.

What causes Lyme? 

Lyme is a spirochetal infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi. It is caused by a bacterium called a spirochete.
An infected tick can transmit the spirochete to humans and animals that it bites.
There is a raging debate about wether other types of parasitic insects are transmitters or vectors of lyme.
There is also a controversy as to whether it can be sexually transmitted as well and whether it can be passed through the placenta of an infected mother to unborn child. it can be passed via breast milk.
If it is left untreated it can then become Chronic Lyme.
It can travel from the skin through the bloodstream, joints, organs and establish itself in various body tissues.

What are the bacteria?

Borrelia burgdoferi, the spirochete that causes
Lyme disease
Babesia microti, an intra-erythrocytic piroplasm
akin to the parasite malaria
 Bartonella henselae, a bacterium
Anaplasma phagocytophilia (Human Granulocytic

(Ehrlichiosis) and Ehrlichia chaffeensis (Human

Monocytic Ehrlichia), both intracellular rickettsiallike
bacteria

Mycoplasma fermentans, an ancient, tiny,
intracelluar bacterium

Bartonella henselae: abdominal pain, headache, visual problems, significant lymph
node enlargement (e.g. mesenteric adenitis), rashes, unusual “stretch marks”, resistant
neurological deficits, radiculopathies, cranial neuralgias, new onset seizure disorders, acute
encephalitis, sole of foot pain or burning in am, psychiatric disorders of all kinds

Mycoplasma fermentans: fatigue, abdominal pain, psychiatric symptoms

Ehrlichiosis(HME, HGE): high fevers, headaches, muscle pains, flu-like symptoms. Labs can show low WBC and platelets, increased liver enzymes

Babesia microti: (malarial like parasite that lives inside red blood cells) cyclical fevers
and sweats, chills, profound fatigue, headache, muscle pains, deep bone pains,
especially of the extremities, SOB, dry cough, poor balance, painful feet.


 **Always consult a LLMD (Lyme Literate Doctor) or your own health care proffessional.**

 Copyright 2012-2013  LymeGirl all rights reserved.

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