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Lyme Disease

Organism

Borrelia Burgdorferi (spirochaete)
Incubation: 7-14 days

Lyme disease Target Lesion

Transmission

Vector=ticks
Animal hosts=deer/rodents

Epidemiology

Commonest vector borne illness in USA
Focally endemic in woodland of north America – infections mostly occur in summer.

Pathogenesis

The spirochetes may avoid the immune response by a form of molecular mimicry, causing a pathogen-induced auto-immune disease by causing inflammatory substances such as cytokines.

Clinical features

Early disseminated

Complications

Diagnosis

Primarily clinical diagnosis, confirmed by antibody detection.
Culture from biopsy

Treatment

Doxycycline/amoxicillin (14 days, longer if disseminated)
IV cefotaxime in neurological disease

Prevention

References

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