Emerging infectious illnesses are those that have recently manifested in a population, whose incidence or geographic range is rapidly increasing, or pose a threat to increase in the near future. Emerging infections could be caused by:
• Newly discovered or unexpected infectious diseases
• Agents that are well-known but have spread to new populations or regions
• Substances that have been around for a while but whose connection to a certain disease has gone unnoticed
• The reappearance of pathogens whose disease incidence had previously sharply declined but has recently increased. These disorders are referred to as "re-emerging infectious diseases".
Lyme Disease
As Lyme borreliosis, Lyme disease is a vector-borne illness brought on by the Borrelia bacterium, which is disseminated by Ixodes ticks. The most typical indicator of infection is an escalating red rash called Erythema Migrans (EM), which develops about a week after the tick bite.
Usually, the rash is not unpleasant or itchy. A rash appears in about 70–80% of affected individuals. Humans contract Lyme disease from the bites of Ixodes ticks that have the infection.
The Ixodes scapularis tick is the most common type in the United States and must remain attached for at least 36 hours in order for the bacteria to spread.
Wearing clothing that covers the arms and legs and using DEET- or picaridin-based insect repellents are two ways to prevent tick bites. Pesticides may also be useful in lowering tick populations.
Tweezers can be used to remove ticks. One dosage of doxycycline may be administered if the removed tick is bloody in order to stop the spread of infection, although this is not typically advised because the infection is uncommon.
The most typical illness carried by ticks in the Northern Hemisphere is Lyme disease. Over 200,000 people a year in Western Europe and 476,000 people in the United States are believed to be diagnosed and treated for the illness there.
Symptoms and Indications
A wide variety of symptoms and multiple body systems can be impacted by Lyme disease. Not all Lyme disease patients experience all of the symptoms, and many of them are not just limited
Lyme disease can also be associated with other illnesses.
It typically takes one to two weeks from the time of infection until the start of symptoms, but it might take much less time (days) or much more time (months to years). Because the nymphal stage of the tick is responsible for the majority of cases, Lyme symptoms most frequently appear in the northern hemisphere from May to September.
Although asymptomatic infection does exist, it affects less than 7% of infected people in the US. Those infected in Europe may experience asymptomatic infection significantly more frequently.
Cause
Spirochetes, spiral bacteria from the genus Borrelia, are the culprits behind Lyme disease. Spirochetes have an outer membrane resembling Gram-negative bacteria, peptidoglycan, and flagella.
Despite significant differences in their envelope components from Gram-negative bacteria, Borrelia bacteria are frequently mislabeled as Gram-negative due to their double-membrane envelope.
The Borrelia species linked to Lyme disease are collectively referred to as Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and exhibit a wide range of genetic variability.
B. 20 approved and three hypothesized genospecies make up the species complex known as burgdorferi sensu lato.
There are eight species that can spread Lyme disease: B. mayonii, which is a species of B. B. burgdorferi sensu stricto (found in Europe and North America), B. B. afzelii B. Garinii B. spielmanii, and Lusitania.
Tick life cycle
A tick goes through three stages in its life cycle. Nymph, larva, and adult. Ticks are most active in late spring and early summer in areas with moderate climates, when they are in the nymph stage, and are most likely to transmit Lyme disease.
Transmission of Lyme disease during the adult stage is less frequent because adult ticks are less likely to bite humans, tend to be larger in size, and are therefore simpler to spot and get rid of.
Journal Home page
The Journal of Emerging Diseases and Preventive Medicine publishes current research articles related to Medicine, Diseases, Treatments, etc.
Manuscript Submission Link: https://www.pulsus.com/submissions/emerging-diseases-preventive-medicine.html
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