How is babesiosis spreading across the United States. Why are cases of this tick-borne illness on the rise. What are the symptoms and treatments for babesiosis. How can you prevent deer tick bites and infection.

The Rise of Babesiosis: A Growing Endemic Threat

Babesiosis, a tick-borne illness transmitted by blacklegged ticks (also known as deer ticks), has become an increasingly prevalent health concern in the United States. According to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cases of babesiosis have more than doubled from 2011 to 2019, marking a significant shift in its endemic status.

Previously considered relatively rare, babesiosis is now endemic in 10 states, up from seven just a decade ago. This expansion includes Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont joining the list of states where the disease is considered a constant, ongoing threat. The original seven endemic states are Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin.

Is babesiosis limited to these 10 states? No, the spread of this tick-borne illness extends beyond these regions. Nine additional states that previously had few or no reported cases are now experiencing an uptick in babesiosis incidents. These states include Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Virginia, and West Virginia, although case levels are still considered low in these areas.

Understanding the Causes Behind the Babesiosis Surge

The increasing prevalence of babesiosis can be attributed to several interconnected factors:

• Climate change: Global warming and increased precipitation are expanding the habitat range of blacklegged ticks.
• Wildlife population changes: A growing white-tailed deer population provides more food sources for ticks.
• Demographic shifts: An aging population is more vulnerable to infections.
• Urban development: More homes are being built in areas closer to tick habitats.

These factors collectively contribute to the expansion of tick populations and increased human exposure to these disease-carrying arachnids.

Transmission Methods and High-Risk Groups

How is babesiosis transmitted? While most cases result from bites by infected blacklegged deer ticks (Ixodes scapularis) in Northeastern and Midwestern states, other transmission routes exist:

• Blood transfusions from infected donors
• Organ transplants from infected individuals
• Transmission from infected pregnant individuals to their babies

It’s important to note that cases resulting from blood transfusions often lead to worse outcomes and a higher risk of death compared to tick-bite transmissions. As a precautionary measure, U.S. regulators recommend screening donor blood for babesiosis in 14 states and Washington, DC.

Who is most at risk for severe babesiosis? Certain groups are particularly vulnerable to severe or potentially fatal infections:

• Elderly individuals
• People with weakened immune systems
• Those living with serious chronic health conditions like kidney or liver disease

Recognizing Babesiosis Symptoms and Seeking Treatment

Can you identify babesiosis symptoms? The onset of symptoms typically occurs within a week of exposure, but they may continue to develop over several weeks or months. While many individuals experience no symptoms at all, others may develop flu-like symptoms, including:

• Fever
• Chills
• Sweats
• Headache
• Body aches
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea
• Fatigue

Additionally, because the parasite responsible for babesiosis infects red blood cells, this illness can also cause anemia.

How is babesiosis diagnosed and treated? Diagnosis is typically made through a blood test. Once confirmed, babesiosis can be treated with antibiotics. Prompt diagnosis and treatment often lead to a full recovery without complications for most infected individuals.

Preventive Measures: Protecting Yourself from Deer Tick Bites

How can you prevent deer tick bites and reduce your risk of babesiosis? Experts recommend several precautionary measures when spending time outdoors:

1. Avoid areas where ticks are commonly found, such as tall grasses and leaf piles.
2. Use tick repellent on exposed skin and clothing.
3. Cover exposed skin with long pants, long sleeves, and tall socks.
4. Stick to cleared trails when hiking or walking in wooded areas.
5. Tuck pants into socks and shirts into pants to prevent ticks from easily accessing your skin.

By implementing these preventive measures, you can significantly reduce your risk of tick bites and potential babesiosis infection.

The Impact of Babesiosis on Blood Donation and Screening

As babesiosis cases continue to rise, concerns about blood donation safety have emerged. Although most cases are not caused by blood transfusions, those who acquire babesiosis through contaminated blood face significantly worse outcomes and a higher risk of death compared to tick-bite transmissions.

To address this issue, U.S. regulators have implemented blood screening recommendations in high-risk areas. Currently, donor blood screening for babesiosis is recommended in 14 states and Washington, DC. As the disease spreads to new regions, regulators are continually evaluating whether screening should be expanded to additional states.

This proactive approach aims to minimize the risk of transfusion-transmitted babesiosis and protect vulnerable patients who may receive blood products.

The Connection Between Babesiosis and Lyme Disease

Is there a link between babesiosis and other tick-borne illnesses? Indeed, the blacklegged deer ticks responsible for transmitting babesiosis are also vectors for Lyme disease. This connection raises concerns about potential co-infections and the need for comprehensive tick-borne disease awareness.

Healthcare providers in endemic areas are increasingly alert to the possibility of multiple tick-borne infections in patients presenting with symptoms. This awareness is crucial for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment, as co-infections may complicate the clinical picture and require different treatment approaches.

Distinguishing Babesiosis from Lyme Disease

While both babesiosis and Lyme disease are transmitted by the same tick species, they have distinct characteristics:

• Causative agent: Babesiosis is caused by a parasite, while Lyme disease is caused by bacteria.
• Symptoms: Although both can cause flu-like symptoms, Lyme disease is often associated with a characteristic bullseye rash, which is not present in babesiosis.
• Treatment: While both diseases are treatable with antibiotics, the specific medications and treatment durations may differ.

Understanding these differences is crucial for accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment of tick-borne illnesses.

The Role of Climate Change in Tick-Borne Disease Proliferation

How does climate change contribute to the spread of babesiosis and other tick-borne diseases? The impact of global warming on tick populations and disease transmission is multifaceted:

• Extended tick seasons: Warmer temperatures allow ticks to remain active for longer periods throughout the year.
• Expanded geographic range: Milder winters enable ticks to survive in regions previously too cold for them.
• Increased reproduction rates: Warmer conditions can accelerate tick life cycles, leading to larger populations.
• Changes in host animal populations: Climate change affects the distribution and abundance of animals that serve as tick hosts, potentially increasing human-tick encounters.

These climate-driven changes contribute to the expansion of tick habitats and the increased prevalence of tick-borne diseases like babesiosis across the United States.

Adapting Public Health Strategies to Climate Change

As climate change continues to influence the spread of tick-borne diseases, public health officials and researchers are adapting their strategies to address this evolving threat. Some key focus areas include:

• Enhanced surveillance: Implementing more comprehensive monitoring systems to track tick populations and disease incidence.
• Predictive modeling: Developing advanced models to forecast tick activity and disease risk based on climate data.
• Public education: Increasing awareness about tick-borne diseases and prevention measures in newly affected areas.
• Ecological interventions: Exploring methods to manage tick populations and their habitats in environmentally friendly ways.

These adaptive strategies aim to mitigate the impact of climate change on tick-borne disease transmission and protect public health in the face of evolving environmental conditions.

Emerging Research and Future Directions in Babesiosis Management

As babesiosis becomes an increasing concern in the United States, researchers are focusing on several key areas to improve prevention, diagnosis, and treatment:

Vaccine Development

Can a vaccine prevent babesiosis? While there is currently no vaccine available for babesiosis, researchers are exploring potential vaccine candidates. These efforts focus on targeting specific proteins of the Babesia parasite to stimulate an immune response that could prevent infection or reduce disease severity.

Improved Diagnostic Tools

Efforts are underway to develop more sensitive and specific diagnostic tests for babesiosis. These include:

• Molecular techniques: Advanced PCR-based methods to detect parasite DNA in blood samples.
• Rapid tests: Point-of-care diagnostics that could provide quick results in clinical settings.
• Multiplex assays: Tests capable of detecting multiple tick-borne pathogens simultaneously, addressing the challenge of co-infections.

Novel Treatment Approaches

While current antibiotic treatments are effective for most cases, researchers are investigating new therapeutic options:

• Combination therapies: Exploring synergistic drug combinations to improve treatment efficacy and reduce the risk of drug resistance.
• Immunotherapy: Investigating the potential of immune-based treatments to enhance the body’s ability to fight Babesia infections.
• Anti-parasitic drug development: Searching for new compounds that specifically target the Babesia parasite with minimal side effects.

Ecological Interventions

Researchers are also exploring ways to reduce tick populations and interrupt disease transmission cycles in the environment:

• Biological control: Investigating natural predators or pathogens that could help control tick populations.
• Habitat modification: Studying landscape management techniques that could reduce tick abundance in high-risk areas.
• Host-targeted approaches: Developing methods to treat or vaccinate wildlife reservoirs to reduce pathogen transmission to ticks.

These diverse research directions hold promise for improving our ability to prevent, detect, and treat babesiosis in the future, potentially reducing its impact on public health.

The Economic Impact of Babesiosis and Tick-Borne Diseases

As babesiosis becomes more prevalent, its economic impact is increasingly significant. The costs associated with this tick-borne disease extend beyond direct medical expenses:

Healthcare Costs

• Diagnosis and treatment expenses
• Hospitalization costs for severe cases
• Long-term care for patients with complications

Productivity Losses

• Missed workdays due to illness
• Reduced productivity during recovery
• Long-term disability in severe cases

Prevention and Control Measures

• Public health surveillance and education programs
• Vector control efforts
• Research and development of new diagnostics, treatments, and prevention strategies

Blood Supply Safety

• Costs associated with blood screening in endemic areas
• Potential blood supply shortages due to donor restrictions

The growing economic burden of babesiosis underscores the importance of continued research, prevention efforts, and public health initiatives to mitigate its impact on individuals and society as a whole.

Global Perspectives on Babesiosis: Beyond the United States

While this article has focused primarily on the prevalence of babesiosis in the United States, it’s important to recognize that this tick-borne disease has a global presence. How does babesiosis affect other parts of the world?

European Babesiosis

In Europe, babesiosis is less common than in the United States, but cases do occur. The primary species responsible for human infections in Europe is Babesia divergens, which is transmitted by Ixodes ricinus ticks. Cases are most frequently reported in countries such as France, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.

Asian Babesiosis

In Asia, babesiosis has been reported in several countries, including China, Japan, and South Korea. The species Babesia microti and Babesia venatorum are the most common causes of human babesiosis in this region. The disease is considered emerging in many Asian countries, with increasing recognition and reporting of cases.

African Babesiosis

Human babesiosis is relatively rare in Africa, but cases have been reported. The disease is more commonly found in animals, particularly cattle, where it can cause significant economic losses in the livestock industry.

Global Challenges and Collaboration

The global nature of babesiosis presents both challenges and opportunities:

• Diverse Babesia species and tick vectors across regions require tailored prevention and control strategies.
• International travel and climate change may contribute to the spread of babesiosis to new areas.
• Global collaboration in research and surveillance can lead to improved understanding and management of the disease worldwide.

As babesiosis continues to emerge as a health concern in various parts of the world, international cooperation and knowledge sharing will be crucial in addressing this tick-borne threat effectively.

Deer Tick Disease Babesiosis Now Endemic in Northeastern U.S.

Cases of a tick-borne illness known as babesiosis are becoming much more common in the United States, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Babesiosis is transmitted by blacklegged ticks, also called deer ticks, and can cause flu-like symptoms in some people and potentially fatal infections in others.

Until recently, babesiosis was relatively rare, the CDC said. But in 10 states, up from seven states roughly a decade ago, babesiosis is now considered endemic — meaning it’s a disease outbreak that’s a constant, ongoing threat.

“This marks an unfortunate milestone in the emergence of babesiosis in the U.S.,” says Peter Krause, MD, a senior research scientist at the Yale School of Public Health in New Haven, Connecticut, who wasn’t involved in the CDC report. “It is concerning because this disease can be serious or life threatening in immunocompromised individuals. ”

Babesiosis Is Spreading West and South, Too

The CDC reported that babesiosis cases more than doubled from 2011 to 2019, reaching endemic levels for the first time in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Babesiosis was already at endemic levels in seven states: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin.

Nine other states that previously had no cases at all or only rarely recorded babesiosis cases are now seeing more instances of this illness, even though case levels are still considered low, the CDC reported. These states include Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Why Are Cases of Babesiosis on the Rise?

Several factors are making babesiosis more common, Dr. Krause says. One culprit is global warming and increased precipitation, which are helping to expand the blacklegged tick population. Increases in the white-tailed deer population, a common source of food for ticks, are also contributing, Krause says. An aging population is also leading to increased caseloads, with elderly people more vulnerable to infections as well as more homes being built in areas closer in proximity to ticks.

Most cases of babesiosis in the United States are caused by bites from blacklegged deer ticks, Ixodes scapularis, in Northeastern and Midwestern states, the CDC said. The same ticks can also transmit Lyme disease. Babesiosis can also spread through blood transfusions, organs transplanted from infected donors, or from infected pregnant parents to their babies.

Even though most cases aren’t caused by blood transfusions, people who acquire babesiosis through contaminated blood have significantly worse outcomes and a higher risk of death than people who get it from tick bites, the CDC said. U.S. regulators already recommend screening donor blood for babesiosis in 14 states and Washington, DC, according to the CDC, and regulators continue to evaluate whether screening may be needed in additional states.

Symptoms, Testing, and Treatment for Babesiosis

Babesiosis symptoms can start within a week of exposure and may continue to develop over several weeks or months, according to the CDC. Many people experience no symptoms at all, but some individuals can develop flu-like symptoms including fever, chills, sweats, headache, body aches, loss of appetite, nausea, and fatigue. Because the parasite that causes babesiosis infects red blood cells, this illness can also cause anemia.

Babesiosis can be severe or even fatal for certain groups, including individuals who are elderly, have a weakened immune system, or are living with serious chronic health conditions like kidney or liver disease, the CDC says.

Babesiosis can be detected with a blood test, and it can be treated with antibiotics. “Fortunately, prompt diagnosis and treatment will lead to cure without complications for most infected people,” Krause says.

How Can I Prevent Deer Tick Bites and Infection?

Babesiosis can be prevented in many cases by taking precautions when you spend time outdoors, says Bobbi Pritt, MD, MSc, a tick-borne illness researcher and chair of clinical microbiology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

“The best way to prevent babesiosis and other tick-borne diseases is to avoid tick bites,” Dr. Pritt says. “This can be done by avoiding areas where ticks are found such as tall grasses, using tick repellent, and covering exposed skin with clothing.”

The CDC also recommends several other ways to keep ticks off your body when you spend time outdoors. These include:

• Watch where you walk. Stick to cleared trails, and try to steer clear of overgrown grasses, leaf piles, and brush where ticks tend to be found.
• Cover your skin. Wear long pants, long sleeves, tall socks, and tuck everything in so ticks can’t easily crawl inside your clothing.
• Use tick repellent. Apply products containing DEET directly to clothing or skin. Products containing permethrin can also be applied to clothing, but not to skin.

When you’re done outside, daily tick checks are essential. Ticks need to stay attached to a person for more than 36 hours to be able to spread the parasite that causes babesiosis, according to the CDC.

How to Check for Ticks — and Why It’s Essential

This is the best way to check for ticks, according to the CDC:

• Remove ticks from clothing and pets before you get inside.
• Use a mirror to inspect every part of your body, including around the groin, between toes, behind the ears, and in and around your hair.
• Remove ticks with pointed, fine-tipped tweezers.

“People should take tick-borne diseases seriously and protect themselves from tick bites,” Pritt says. “However, they shouldn’t stop doing things that they enjoy outdoors, since there are a lot of health benefits from being active and enjoying nature. By following simple steps such as using tick repellent and performing frequent tick checks, people can greatly reduce their risk of tick-borne disease.”

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Lyme Disease Symptoms and Complications

What Are the Early Symptoms of Lyme Disease?

The most common feature of localized Lyme disease is a slowly expanding skin lesion or rash known as erythema migrans (EM). This rash usually develops 3 to 30 days (7 days on average) after the disease-transmitting tick bite.

Erythema migrans is the earliest sign of the disease in about 70 percent of Lyme disease cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (3)

There are certain characteristics that can help identify erythema migrans:

• It begins as a flat or slightly raised red spot at the site of the tick bite, and can expand to become a round rash up to 12 inches (30 centimeters) or more across.
• It can appear on any area of the body (at the bite site) but most frequently shows up on the lower limbs, buttocks, and groin in adults, and on the head and neck in children.
• A clear ring may appear around the center of the rash, giving it a bull’s-eye-like appearance (a central circle with a clear ring around it, surrounded by a larger rash).
• It may be warm to the touch, though rarely painful or itchy.

While the classic Lyme disease rash has a bull’s-eye shape, not all cases of erythema migrans look the same. The patient may develop a red, expanding lesion with a crusting of the skin at the center; multiple red lesions; red, oval-shaped plaques; or a bluish rash. (4)

In addition to erythema migrans, people with localized Lyme disease may experience flu-like symptoms, including fever and chills, headache, fatigue, muscle and joint pains, a general ill feeling (malaise), and swollen lymph glands.

About 20 percent of people with Lyme disease don’t experience any symptoms other than erythema migrans.

What Are the Later Symptoms of Lyme Disease?

“Lyme disease can cause a sharp increase in pain and a lot of swelling in the joints,” says Joseph Ciotola, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at the Orthopedic Specialty Hospital at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore. “It can also make you feel extra tired.”

In early disseminated (stage 2) Lyme disease, which occurs weeks to months after the tick bite, other symptoms may develop, including:

• Additional erythema migrans lesions
• Nerve pain
• Facial or Bell’s palsy, a paralysis or weakness in the muscles on one side of the face
• Lyme carditis, in which Lyme disease bacteria enter the tissues of the heart and interfere with the normal process that coordinates the beating of the heart; symptoms include palpitations, chest pain, or shortness of breath.

Late disseminated (stage 3) Lyme disease, which develops months to years after the infection begins, may cause:

• Arthritis with severe joint pain and swelling, especially in large joints such as the knees
• Pain in the tendons, muscles, joints, and bones
• Abnormal muscle movement
• Numbness and tingling in the hands or feet
• Cognitive problems, including issues with speech and short-term memory
• Severe headaches and neck stiffness from meningitis (inflammation of the membranes covering the spinal cord and brain)

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Lyme disease: pathogen, symptoms and treatment

Lyme disease, or tick-borne borreliosis, is the most common disease in Russia among those transmitted by ixodid ticks. Every year this diagnosis is made to 7-10 thousand Russian citizens. In many of them, the disease is detected already in a neglected state. Without treatment, borreliosis can lead to disability and even death. No vaccine has yet been developed against it.

What is it

The emergence of the term Lyme disease is associated with the American city of Lyme, where at 19In 1975, doctors first drew attention to atypical arthritis in children and adults. In 1977, researchers noticed a connection between it and the Ixodes tick Ixodes scapularis, and in 1982, Willy Burgdorfer described the causative agent of Lyme disease, Borrelia from the spirochete family, which was later named after the discoverer Borrelia burgdorferi. Today, 5 species of Borrelia are known to cause Lyme disease: Borrelia miyamotoi, Borrelia afzelii, Borrelia garinii, Borrelia bavariensis, and Borrelia spielmanii. In addition, there are over 100 different strains distributed in the US and over 300 around the world. Some of them have increased resistance to antibacterial drugs.

Spreaders of Lyme disease are ticks, as well as deer bloodsuckers. Getting into the human blood, Borrelia, due to its spiral shape, can penetrate into a variety of tissues of the body, causing multi-organ and multi-system lesions. Serological diagnosis of borreliosis began to be done in 1984. In 1997, the first vaccine against this pathogen entered the market, but after 4 years its production was stopped due to significant side effects.

Interestingly, about 60% of the Borrelia burgdorferi genome was found in the remains of a man who died in the Alps almost 5,300 years ago. As you can see, this microorganism has existed in nature for a long time and poses a danger to humans, but it was discovered relatively recently. Lyme disease can be diagnosed in domestic cats and dogs, but humans cannot become infected from them even through close contact.

Ixodid ticks. Ways of infection with borreliosis

The main carriers of Borrelia are 4 types of ixodid ticks:

• Ixodes scapularis (black-legged tick), found in the eastern and northern Midwestern United States;
• Ixodes pacificus, common on the west coast of the USA;
• Ixodes ricinus, widely present in Europe
• Ixodes persulcatus, found in Asia.

These creatures belong to the order of arachnids. A huge number of different ticks live in nature, many of them are microscopic in size and are not at all dangerous to humans. But a group of blood-sucking ixodid ticks poses a real threat to warm-blooded ones, because in addition to borreliosis, they are able to transmit the following ailments through a bite:

• tick-borne encephalitis;
• tick-borne typhus;
• tularemia;
• ehrlichiosis;
• babesiosis;
• hemorrhagic and other types of fevers;
• rickettsiosis.

It is even possible to become infected with several pathogens at once.

Ixods come to the surface in late March – early April and remain active until the end of September, and even longer in warm weather. They can go without food for a long time, waiting on a blade of grass for their prey with raised paws, on which there are suction cups and claws to capture the prey. Once on the body of a warm-blooded creature, the tick usually chooses a bite site within 2–3 hours (where the blood vessels are closest to the skin) and only then makes a puncture with a proboscis with teeth. Its saliva has an analgesic effect, so a person does not feel a bite. As the tick feeds on blood, it grows in size. It is not always possible to notice a hungry tick, but it is impossible to miss a full one.

The infection is transmitted to them from animals bitten by them, for example, rodents, wild and domestic ungulates, dogs, cats, birds, as well as sexually from male to female. Some ticks cling to one animal and spend their whole life on it, feeding on its blood, but many are always looking for a new source of food. Both males and females feed on blood, but females, as a rule, pose a greater danger, because they have a longer saturation process. Ticks do not climb trees, they prefer tall grass along paths, where you can most often meet a passing person or animal.

Infection with borreliosis occurs in the following ways:

• directly through the saliva of the parasite during the bite;
• during scratching of the bite site, during which the saliva and feces of the arthropod are rubbed into the micro-wound or when it is accidentally crushed;
• when consuming uncooked cow’s or goat’s milk, but this is extremely rare;
• during pregnancy, the infection can sometimes be transmitted to the fetus from the mother.

Borreliosis can only be contracted from a tick; there is no reliable data on whether Lyme disease is transmitted to a person from a person.

Signs of disease

The incubation period for Lyme disease is usually 5 to 11 days, but sometimes characteristic symptoms can occur up to a month after exposure to the tick. The main sign of infection is the appearance at the site of the bite of a red spot of a ring structure with clear contours, which itches and swells. It is called erythema migrans because it sometimes moves.

In parallel, flu symptoms are observed: aching joints, headache, fever. After 3-8 weeks, the redness disappears, SARS also passes quite quickly, and the person feels relatively healthy. But the disease is progressing all the time. A person has problems in different organs. Most often, pain in the joints occurs, the functioning of the cardiovascular and nervous systems is disrupted, memory, vision and hearing deteriorate, neurological disorders occur, immunity decreases, which can lead to other infections. Often, doctors do not immediately diagnose Lyme disease and prescribe treatment for a specific organ, but the problem is systemic. And its cause is borrelia.

Lyme disease diagnostics

At an early stage, the main symptom of the disease is the presence of erythema at the site of a tick bite and a flu-like condition. For a more accurate diagnosis, especially when the disease becomes stable, the following tests are performed:

• PCR test;
• enzyme immunoassay;
• immunofluorescence assay;
• microscopic examination.

Additionally, the following studies are assigned:

• Ultrasound of affected organs;
• ECG;
• x-ray examination of the joints;
• lumbar puncture;
• EEG;
• skin biopsy;
• joint puncture.

In the early stages, serological studies are indicative, because either a small number of borrelia are present in the bloodstream, or they are absent altogether. A retest is recommended after 20-30 days. In this case, false results are possible against the background of syphilis, typhoid, infectious mononucleosis, rheumatic diseases.

Lyme disease should be distinguished from eczema, arthritis, tick-borne encephalitis, Reiter’s disease, and dermatitis, the symptoms of which are similar at certain stages.

Stages of Lyme disease

Doctors distinguish three stages of the course of tick-borne borreliosis. All of them have different symptoms and severity, and often there are long asymptomatic periods of relative well-being between them.

The first stage is the local development of infection at the site of the bite. It can last from 3 to 30 days. Symptoms:

• erythema migrans;
• skin rash;
• fever, chills;
• headache;
• joint and muscle pain, fatigue;
• nausea and vomiting;
• skin hypersensitivity;
• photophobia, tension of the occipital muscles.

Already during this period, 5-8% of people have brain damage.

The second stage lasts from one to three months. At this stage, the pathogen is actively spreading throughout the body, penetrating into the lymph nodes, internal organs, joints, nervous system, resulting in the following symptoms:

• frequent throbbing headache;
• photophobia;
• decreased concentration, insomnia;
• mood swings, irritability;
• cranial nerve palsy;
• peripheral radiculopathy;
• sensory disturbances in limbs;
• dyspnea, tachycardia, chest pain;
• lymphocytoma at the site of the bite;
• slight increase in body temperature.

At the third stage, which develops over 6 months – 2 years, autoimmune disorders and deep lesions of internal organs, joints, nervous and cardiovascular systems are observed. Symptoms:

• epileptic seizures, psychoses;
• signs of meningitis;
• disorders of memory, attention, thought processes;
• general prostration, fatigue;
• painful muscle spasms;
• skin nodules, bluish-red spots, infiltrates;
• skin atrophy;
• arthritis.

Different patients may experience different symptoms, depending on which organ has been most affected. But usually the nervous system, joints and skin suffer the most. Since the manifestations of Lyme disease are extremely diverse, doctors often make an erroneous diagnosis. There is an assumption that a number of ailments, the etiology of which has not yet been established, are associated precisely with Borrelia. This applies to progressive encephalopathy, recurrent meningitis, certain types of psychosis and convulsive conditions, vasculitis of cerebral vessels, etc.

Disease forms

Tick-borne borreliosis can occur in a latent form, without severe symptoms, but the presence of borreliosis is laboratory confirmed. There are several degrees of severity of the disease:

• light;
• medium;
• heavy;
• is extremely heavy.

Borreliosis can be seronegative or seropositive. Initially, the form may be erythematous, but later the disease may develop with the following accents:

• neurotic;
• feverish;
• cardiac
• meningeal or mixed.

Treatment of Lyme disease

The sooner you start therapy, the less risk of serious complications. The disease is treated in the hospital of the infectious diseases department, while patients receive complex therapy aimed not only at destroying the infection, but also at maintaining the affected organs. Antibiotics are used to fight Borrelia. At an early stage of Lyme disease, tetracycline drugs are effective, later, when articular, cardiac and neurological changes appear, penicillin antibiotics or cephalosporins are prescribed, which take 3-4 weeks. In parallel, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are recommended, and analgesics are used to relieve pain symptoms. With a pronounced intoxication syndrome, infusion detoxification therapy is also indicated, with heart damage and meningitis – dehydration therapy. Physiotherapy has also worked well.

Borreliosis in pregnancy

Pregnancy with borreliosis can occur with complications, toxicosis, there is a risk of intrauterine infection of the fetus and the development of congenital Lyme disease, similar to congenital syphilis. Doctors are aware of cases of death of newborns due to heart pathologies, but the autopsy of the bodies revealed the presence of borrelia in the internal organs. Cases of intrauterine fetal death have also been described. However, often the pregnancy ended in the birth of a perfectly healthy child.

Complications of the disease, prognosis

Timely treatment of Lyme disease with antibiotics gives good results, the symptoms disappear quite quickly, however, some patients may experience joint pain and cramps, fatigue, problems with memory and concentration within a few months after completion of therapy. This phenomenon is called post-lyme syndrome. In this regard, some doctors increased the duration of antibiotics, but studies have proven the inappropriateness of this approach.

In the Western press, you can find publications about chronic borreliosis, but official medicine does not recognize the existence of this form of the disease. There is only an acute form, and what is called chronic Lyme disease is associated with chronic fatigue syndrome, the diagnosis and etiology of which is not fully understood, but most researchers do not associate it with Borrelia.

Lyme disease is curable if therapy was started in a timely manner, however, with deep neurological and articular lesions, complete recovery does not occur, even disability is possible. After therapy, patients are recommended dispensary observation throughout the year with regular clinical and laboratory examinations and the involvement of specialized specialists.

Prevention

To prevent Lyme disease, contact with ticks should be avoided. A bite does not always lead to infection, but before going into the forest, you should wear a hat, a shirt with long sleeves and a tight-fitting collar, and tuck your trousers under the elastic of your socks. In this case, it is advisable to choose light-colored clothes, because it is easier to notice a crawling tick on it. Additionally, it is advisable to use repellents that repel insects and arthropods. It is also recommended to regularly treat the most popular outdoor recreation areas with special compounds that destroy ticks.

If the bite does occur, the tick must be carefully removed with tweezers, placed in a test tube and taken for examination to detect a possible infection. It is advisable to immediately contact the doctor of our clinic, who can prescribe antibiotics for 5 days to prevent the disease.

Mushroom pickers are bitten by moose flies – KP.RU

Komsomolskaya Pravda

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Society0002 Flocks of flying bloodsuckers appeared in the Kaliningrad forests.

Winged mites Unusually warm autumn has become the main reason for the aggressive behavior of blood-sucking insects. Mosquitoes, ticks, horseflies attack Kaliningraders even at the end of October. And our employee Inessa Chabanenko met this harmful moose fly. She collected mushrooms in the forests of the Bagrationovsky district, caught strange insects in a plastic bottle and brought them to the editorial office. Showing the “animals” to her colleagues, she shared her impressions: – These are flying ticks! Imagine what an unpleasant surprise: as soon as you entered the forest, some kind of bugs “fell down” on your face and clothes. In appearance, these insects look like ticks, but they are somehow “modified” – with wings. The worst thing is that they didn’t want to jump off their clothes or their faces just like that and persistently tried to get under their clothes. To drive away, like mosquitoes, they also did not work. They literally clung to the skin and kept on the clothes. The enviable tenacity of these insects made us turn to specialists. Unidentified flying object Gennady Grishanov, a scientist from the Kant State University, after listening to the description of the insect on the phone, suggested that it was a moose fly. – For a person, it is not dangerous, not pathogenic fauna, – he reassured. To identify the fly-tick, we went to the regional plant protection station, where we kindly agreed to “identify” still living specimens. The head of the phytosanitary point, Elena Borovtsova, conducted a study. She pulled one “mutant” out of the bottle – and under the microscope: – Actually, we do not deal with forest pests, but let’s see what kind of mouth apparatus an insect has. We also looked into the eye of the microscope. On its back lay a furry monster, a head with powerful jaws, tenacious legs with long jagged claws. It turned out that the unidentified flying object has a sucking mouth apparatus, which means that it probably drinks blood. After direct contact with the insect, Elena Borovtsova advised us to wipe our hands with alcohol, you never know… Vampire identified The popular name for these strange insects is moose (deer) flies or lice. They really are very similar to ticks, only with wings. They are difficult to crush, the body is flat and dense. According to the stories of entomologists, they do not stick, encephalitis and other infections are not tolerated. They lay their eggs under the skin of moose. When communicating with such a fly, the main thing is that it does not confuse you with an elk. Previously, this creature attacked livestock and wild artiodactyls, but now it does not shun human blood. The fact that this fly, if it bites, does not suck out blood, is little consolation. A harmful insect is quite capable of bringing dirt under the skin and causing infection. And the role of bloodsuckers in the spread of diseases is still poorly understood. Moose ticks are potentially dangerous to humans, and their bites are extremely painful. As a rule, the insect bites into the hair and head. Its saliva is more poisonous than that of a mosquito. A large red spot appears at the site of the bite, which is very itchy.

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