What is Lyme?

The Lyme disease bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, is spread through infected tick bites. After feeding on infected deer or mice, the black-legged tick (or deer tick) becomes a carrier of Lyme bacteria and the co-factors. People typically come into contact with Lyme in wooded areas where deer are found. Many cases of Lyme originate from the Northeast, Pacific Northwest, and Upper Midwest regions of the United States and throughout Europe.

 

Ticks transmit Lyme to humans by attaching to any part of the human body. They are often found in hard-to-see areas such as the groin, armpits, and scalp. In most, but not all cases, the tick must be attached for 24 to 48 hours before the Lyme disease bacterium can be transmitted.

Immature, tiny ticks (less than 2 mm) called nymphs are extremely difficult to see and are usually the ones to infect humans. Adult ticks can also transmit the Lyme disease bacteria, but they are much larger and are more likely to be discovered and removed quickly before they have had time to spread the bacteria. 

 

Chronic Lyme Disease is when Lyme disease progresses into significantly worse symptoms because either the antibiotics did not work in time or the patient was misdiagnosed along the way and didn’t receive the proper protocol treatment for Lyme disease in the Stage 1 phase. 

 

The reason everyone has an individualized and varying recovery of Lyme disease is because of genetic makeup, pre-exposure to other bacteria and virus’, and overall immune health.

 

Here are some images to help you understand the confections of Borrelia Burdorferi and how some of them can be spread through fleas and other insects as well as ticks.  As you can see, different confections have different symptoms, adding to the difficulty in diagnosing and treating Lyme.