Deer Tick Research Paper

One day you decide to go for a hike. It is a beautiful day out and as you are walking back you notice a tiny insect on your leg, no bigger than a millimeter across. You decide to ignore it, but within the next few days you feel tired, feverish, and have a terrible headache. You finally go to the doctor and find out that you have bacteria called borrelia burgdorferi also known as Lyme disease. You may not know about it so you may ask the doctor how you came in contact with it, how it will affect your life, and how to treat it. The answers may shock you, as this disease is very rare and has approximately 30,000 confirmed cases in the U.S. every year.

The cause of this obscure disease is from a type of insect called the blacklegged tick or more commonly known as the deer tick. Deer ticks are frequently found in the North Eastern United States, and often live for two to three years. Their diets consist of the blood from small rodents, moose, and deer hence their name deer ticks. If one of these animals are infected with the disease and are bitten by the tick, it can be carried by blood. Most people come in contact with these minute insects while hiking through brush or tall grass. Because of this fact, the initial bite can be avoided by wearing high socks or long pants and checking for ticks after every hike.

Living with this disease

If you have a bacterial infection such as Lyme disease, you can only cure it by taking an antibiotic. Your doctor can prescribe this to you after they confirm that it is Lyme disease. However, this must be done soon otherwise the medicine is useless. After a treatment course of up to four weeks, the victim of this terrible infection may still have symptoms that can last up to six months. This is only in rare occasions, usually when it has been caught to late. If a person is diligent about taking the medication prescribed, then the rash and other symptoms should be