Lyme Disease

Question 1

Borelia burgdorferi

Answer 1

Lyme Disease: chronic systemic infection that beings w/ characteristic skin lesion and later manifests as cardiac, neurologic or joint disturbances
reservoir: mice
Vector: Ixodes tick (deer tick)
Replicates at the site of inoculation, spreads to regional lymph nodes and disseminates through the blood stream
3 Clinical stages

Question 2

Lyme Disease Stage 1

Answer 2

Characteristic skin lesion: erythema chronicum migrans - bullseye rash- at site of bite
Patients experience constant fatigue, malaise, headache and fever

Question 3

Lyme Disease Stage 2

Answer 3

Begins several wks to months after the skin lesion
Characterized by exacerbation of migratory musculoskeletal pains and cardiac and neurologic abnormalities (meningitis and facial nerve palsies)

Question 4

Lyme Disease Stage 3

Answer 4

Begins months to years after the disease begins
Arthralgia- arthritis of the large joints, especially of the knee
Acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans- patchy atrophy and sclerosis of the skin