Preview

Borrelia Burgdorferi

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
934 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Borrelia Burgdorferi
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection, caused by bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, that is transmitted through the bite of a tick. Bacterium borrelia burgdorferi is a spiral shaped bacteria (spirochetes) that causes lyme disease. This bacteria is carried by a variety of different kinds of ticks but the most common carrier is the blacklegged ticks or deer ticks. The tick doesn’t start out by carrying the disease, it receives it from another animal like a mouse, squirrel, or deer, and then it is passed onto the next animal or person they bite. This disease is usually diagnosed by signs of bullseye shaped rashes on the skin along with headaches and a fever. A series of blood tests will be taken just to confirm that the patient is infected with …show more content…
This bacteria has many ways to shield itself by being caught by the body’s immune system, starting from right when it enters the body all the way until it's too late and the damage has already commenced. When the borrelia burgdorferi is transmitted into the body by the tick it is covered with the tick’s saliva, which contains certain things that shield it from the human immune system. It can be weeks after the tick bite and the immune system still may be completely oblivious to it being there, and won’t produce any antibodies to fight it off. This can be a big problem when a person knows they have been bitten and got the test, but the test may come back negative since their body hasn’t started defending …show more content…
Borrelia burgdorferi bacterium has another unique ability that allows it to reshape the proteins on its cell wall, which successfully hides the bacteria from the immune system yet again. The immune system is searching for a specifically shaped cell protein wall, but since the bacteria has changes its protein shape it has become invisible to the immune system. Now that the body is trying to defend itself against an invisible attacker, the immune system is just blindly firing and attacking random areas, this causes more harm than good to tissues, organs, joints, skin,and even the brain. Because of the lyme bacteria’s unique ability to shapeshift it’s proteins, it can stay hidden from the immune system, and the body will keep attacking mostly itself. So overall instead of killing the invader the body is now destroying itself in attempt to destroy the
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Bordetella Pertussis Or Whooping Cough
    • 1095 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Bordetella Pertussis Or Whooping Cough

    “You think the safest place in the world for your baby is wrapped in your arms, but it can also be one of the most dangerous because parents most often spread pertussis,” ([elizabethpg1], 2010). These words come from a popular television commercial from a few years past. The commercial was used to promote the adult pertussis vaccine to help prevent the spread of the illness to infants. Many people recall this commercial because it was filled with constant infant coughs, but many don’t know the cause of pertussis, or whooping cough. Whooping cough is caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis (“Causes and Transmission”, 2015).…

    • 1095 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
    • 518 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

    Rock Mountain Spotted Fever is a bacterial disease that is caused by a type of bacteria carried by infected ticks. The scientific name of the causative agent is Rickettsia rickettsii. The bacteria’s, physical appearance is very small, about 0.2-0.5 µm by 0.2-0.3 µm. It is spotted, and has a circular or oval-like shape. Also, it is gram-negative. The bacterium multiplies by binary fission and contains both DNA and RNA. They can live to a lifespan of one year. The tick can first be infected by consuming the blood of another infected animal, then once the tick is attached to a host or human, it gets into the cell and begins to reproduce to infect more of the cells. Males can transfer the bacteria to females through mating and females can transfer the bacteria to their eggs. Once a tick is infected by rickettsia rickettsii, it will have it for life. Spotted Fever can be transmitted through tick bites. Through a period of time, about one to two weeks, the tick feeds on the blood of the host.…

    • 518 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Lyme Disease Research Paper
    • 588 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Lyme Disease Research Paper

    Lyme disease is a relatively new, being first reported in 1975, in Old Lyme , Connecticut. It is caused by the bacterium Borrelia Burgdoferi, which can be carried by rats and dears. The transmitters of the disease are the black-legged ticks that bite these animals, get infected and afterwards bite people. According to www.ehealthmd.com, “the average deer carries 200 or more ticks at one time”. Approximately half of these ticks are infected with the Lyme disease bacteria. The risk of contracting the disease is higher for people who have pets and for those who do activities outside, such as hiking or gardening.…

    • 588 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Lyme Disease Research Paper
    • 968 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Lyme Disease Research Paper

    Lyme disease is a tick-borne systemic infection cause by a spiral organism, Borrelia burgdorferi, characterized by neurologic, joint, and cardiac manifestations. Lyme disease is carried by a tiny tick. It begins with a bite and a rash that can be so slight, you may not even notice. However the consequences can be serious, sometimes even fatal. Lyme disease can create symptoms that mimic a wide variety of other diseases, ranging from juvenile arthritis to multiple sclerosis to Alzheimer’s disease.…

    • 968 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Best Essays

    Lyme Disease
    • 2310 Words
    • 10 Pages

    Lyme Disease

    Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in North America and Europe. Lyme disease is steadily increasing in the United States and the majorities of health care providers are unfamiliar with the disease; primarily because of its complexity and as a result lack the clinical skills necessary to provide comprehensive care to infected patients. The purpose of this paper is to give an overview of the health problem of the disease, epidemiology, incidence and prevalence, pathophysiology, application of the nursing theory, and present the case study with an appropriate plan of care.…

    • 2310 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Best Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    lyme disease
    • 298 Words
    • 2 Pages

    lyme disease

    Although contrary to popular belief Lyme disease is very easily prevented. The easiest way to do this is when outside where long clothing that covers up almost all of your skin. This makes it harder for ticks or any other insects carrying the disease to burrow into your skin and use it as a shelter. Another very easy prevention for Lyme Disease is to avoid areas that are known to have insects that carry this disease. The most common places to find these insects is rural or suburban areas. The most common time for ticks to come out are when it is an unusual warm day like 65 degrees in November. They are more likely to come out on these days because they realize that it is getting to cold for them to survive on their own so they have to find a warm shelter in order to survive. If you ever go into areas that is known to contain insects with lyme disease check yourself for ticks as soon as possible this will help prevent lyme disease. The most common areas where a tick will burrow in are the hollows of your knees, armpits, and groin areas. If you are unfortunate to find a tick on you remove it as soon as possible. Many people will try to just yank it out this is not a good way to do it because if you do this there is a chance that you will not get the whole tick and some parts will stay there and can still spread lyme disease. The proper way to remove ticks is to take a pair of tweezers and very gently remove it by its head. This will not leave any part of the body behind that can infect the area.…

    • 298 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Lyme's Disease
    • 360 Words
    • 1 Page

    Lyme's Disease

    Lyme’s Disease is a bacteria infection that is transmitted by a tick. When a patient is bitten by a tick that is carrying Lyme’s disease, it will create a rash that will appear with “an expanding red border and centeral clearing, occasionally creating the classic ‘bull’s eye’ appearance (1)”. Early signs and symptoms are similar as the flu such as fever, headache, stiffness, fatigue, and joint pain. If it’s not treated, the severity worsens, “infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the nervous system (2).”…

    • 360 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Bubonic Plague Essay Example
    • 532 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Bubonic Plague Essay Example

    But in 1898, Simond observed that people would only get the disease if you came in contact with a rodent or rat that was dead for a short amout of time. Simond also discovered that if you were in contact with one that had been dead for more than twenty-four hours, the chance of catching the Bubonic Plague would be quite minimal. It is called the Bubonic Plague because once you have the disease, it will, in most cases, cause lymph glands to swell up and become very tender with pain. These swollen glands are called "buboes". If the Bubonic Plague is left untreated, the bacteria will enter the blood stream and travel to other places inside the body like organs such as lungs, liver, and the spleen.…

    • 532 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Pertussis Prevention
    • 1527 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Pertussis Prevention

    Bordetella pertussis is transmitted from person to person via respiratory secretion droplets. The bacteria act by attaching to and then damaging the cilia lining the respiratory tract; the toxins produced by pertussis paralyze the cilia, causing inflammation and interfering with mucus secretion and clearance (CDC, 2010). Once infection has occurred, it is important to treat individuals that remain contagious with antibiotics to reduce communicability (CDC, 2010). The incubation period is generally 7-10 days but can vary from person to person, ranging from a few days to several weeks (Hood, 2008). Frequently, infected individuals remain undiagnosed and act as transmitters, infecting the general public. With such a wide range of contamination, it is vital that individuals are made aware of the symptoms that…

    • 1527 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Information on Bacterial Disease of Fish
    • 2095 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Information on Bacterial Disease of Fish

    3. The clinical signs and lesions are variable. The most common finding is hemorrhage in skin, fins, oral cavity and muscles with superficial ulceration of the epidermis. Occasionally cavitary ulcers (similar to A. salmonicida) are observed. Exophthalmus and ascites are commonly observed. Splenomegaly and swollen kidneys are common. Histologically, multifocal areas of necrosis in the spleen, liver, kidney and heart with numerous rod shaped bacteria are observed.…

    • 2095 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    diesease
    • 601 Words
    • 3 Pages

    diesease

    Lyme disease (it is an infectious disease caused by at least three species of bacteria belonging to the genus .…

    • 601 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Infectious Diseases
    • 258 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Infectious Diseases

    Human diseases such as Lyme disease (borreliosis), Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Ehrlichiosis continually affect the population of Tamaulipan Biotic Providence, area shared between Texas and Mexico. The tick Ixodes scapularis tends to be the main carrier for Borrelia bacteria, which causes borreliosis. Nonetheless, its absence in the area studied gave cue to the analysis of another tick, Amblyomma inornatum. It is important to characterize the disease potential of the latter tick in order to decrease the rate of population infected each year. In order to analyze the prevalence of the Borrelia, Rickettsia and Ehrlichia species (the causes of the diseases mentioned above) in the tick A. inornatum, the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and Agarose Gel Electrophoresis procedures are applied. The PCR method is used to amplify the DNA samples of the tick studied, while the Agarose Gel Electrophoresis method is run in order to identify whether the species of bacteria of our interest are present in the DNA samples or not. The results obtained, so far, show 23.5% positive for Borrelia species, 11.3% to be positive for Ehrlichia species, and 74.2% positive for Rickettsia. This study is one of the first to document that A. inornatum is a vector for Borrelia, Rickettsia and Ehrlichia. The results collected demonstrate that A. inornatum could have a great impact on the spread of diseases within the area studied. They also provide a better understanding of the role the tick plays in the health in south Texas, though additional investigation is required to complete the…

    • 258 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Kyasanur Forest Disease Case Study
    • 733 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Kyasanur Forest Disease Case Study

    Based on these features, the disease most likely is Kyasanur Forest Disease. The Kyasanur forest disease has a reservoir of ticks, that can transmit the disease to rodents, shrews, and monkeys (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013). The Kyasanur forest disease can cause high fatalities with primates, which is similar to the disease in question (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013). Kyasanur Forest Disease resembles the disease in question in the fact that they both cause hemorrhaging of the gastrointestinal tract (Holbrook, 2012). Since the Kyasanur Forest Disease is transmitted by ticks, it makes sense as to how the epidemic occurred in the case study, as the villages relied on the forests, thus being at a greater risk for tick bites (Mourya, Yadav, Patil, 2014). Kyasanur Forest Disease has symptoms of fever, myalgia, diarrhea, oral and intestinal hemorrhaging, and other symptoms (Mourya, Yadav, Patil, 2014) which is similar to the disease in the case study. Some complications of Kyasanur forest disease include fevers, tremors, and vision impairments (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013). The Kyasanur forest disease occurs mainly in India (Mourya, Yadav, Patil, 2014), which is similar to the disease in the case study as that disease occurs in South Asia. As mentioned by the CDC in 2013, people with a lot of exposure to rural and outdoor areas in certain areas, like hunters and farmers, may be more at risk than others. As mentioned in the case study, most people showed signs of illness a few days after being in the forest. Kyasanur forest disease tends to become more frequent from June to November, as it is the dry season (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013). In the case study, Figure 1 shows that the disease in question also has a seasonal pattern, which strengthens the claim that the unknown disease is Kyasanur forest disease. Those who contracted Kyasanur forest disease mostly recovered without…

    • 733 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Lyme Disease
    • 1692 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Lyme Disease

    When you go out to the park, or even your backyard, you are exposed to ticks. Ticks are small arachnids, which are joint-legged invertebrate animals. They live off of the blood of mammals, birds, and reptiles. Furthermore, you may or may not know that Lyme disease is most frequently detected in rodent-feeding vector ticks (“Ticks”). There was a tremendous outbreak of Lyme in 1975- in its hometown of Lyme, Connecticut-when it was classified as a new disease (“Lyme disease History”). This disease was realized as a tick-borne illness in 1978, but in 1981 Willy Burgdorfer found the cause to this mystery. Dr. Burgdorfer 's research concerned the interactions between animal and human disease agents and their transmitting arthropod vectors, particularly ticks, fleas and mosquitoes (“Burgdorfer”). The first case of Lyme was reported in 1883, when a scientist called it a degenerative skin disorder (“Lyme disease History”). Between 1920 and 1934, the disease is found to be associated with neurological problems, psychiatric problems, and showed the appearance of EM or ACA. IN 1970, Rudolph Scrimenti, professor of dermatology, publishes reports of the rash. Later on in 1975, it was officially a recognized disease and more and more people started to become diagnosed. It is most often implied that these “diseased ticks” came over form European countries on ships. And then spread across North America over time (“Lyme disease History”). Since Lyme disease is the most common tick-carried infection in North America, we should take precaution and inform others about this disease so we can start the prevention process.…

    • 1692 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Wild Life
    • 8632 Words
    • 35 Pages

    Wild Life

    Diseases of wildlife can cause significant illness and death to individual animals and can significantly affect wildlife populations. Wildlife species can also serve as natural hosts for certain diseases that affect humans (zoonoses). The disease agents or parasites that cause these zoonotic diseases can be contracted from wildlife directly by bites or contamination, or indirectly through the bite of arthropod vectors such as mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, and mites that have previously fed on an infected animal. These zoonotic diseases are primarily diseases acquired within a specific locality, and secondarily, diseases of occupation and avocation. Biologists, field assistants, hunters, and other individuals who work directly with wildlife have an increased risk of acquiring these diseases directly from animal hosts or their ectoparasites. Plague, tularemia, and leptospirosis have been acquired in the handling and skinning of rodents, rabbits, and carnivores. Humans have usually acquired diseases like Colorado tick fever, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and Lyme disease because they have spent time in optimal habitats of disease vectors and hosts. Therefore, some general precautions should be taken to…

    • 8632 Words
    • 35 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More

Related Topics