Lyme Disease Research Paper

Walking is an enjoyable and healthy activity, and providing you follow a few simple rules it’s also quite safe. Although most people take extra care as they walk along narrow country lanes, many are unaware that one of the most significant health threats to walkers is Lyme disease, a bacterial infection, which spreads to humans through the bite of an infected sheep tick.

Ticks are tiny bloodsucking, arachnids which live in areas of dense vegetation, such as bracken, long grass or woodlands. These minute creatures attach themselves to the skin of both animals and humans to feed on their blood. The life cycle of a tick takes two years and has four stages: egg, larva, nymph and adult. During this period, ticks will feed on three separate hosts. The larval tick feeds on the first host for several days; then it falls off and metamorphoses into a nymph. The nymphs remain inactive until the following spring when they find

– During the early stages of Lyme disease, many people develop a red, circular skin rash known as erythema migrans. The rash, which may be diffuse and hard to discern, may not always appear at the bite site, but elsewhere and can develop up to thirty days after being bitten. However, about one in three people infected with Lyme disease do not see a rash. Some people also have flu-like symptoms in the early stages, such as a high temperature, or feeling hot and shivery, headaches, muscle and joint pain, tiredness and loss of energy.

Not all tick bites cause Lyme disease. Only ticks infected with the bacteria can cause Lyme disease in humans. Nevertheless, it’s still important to be aware of ticks and remove them safely as soon as possible just in case.

Treatment. – Consult a GP if you have symptoms of Lyme disease. Inform the GP the date on which the tick bite occurred and how you removed the tick. As with most infections, Lyme disease is more manageable when diagnosed early, and treatment with a course of antibiotics is usually