Sketchy Micro: Borrelia

Question 1

The Borrelia species are found primarily in the __________.

Answer 1

northeastern United States (like the North East archery competition)

Question 2

Borrelia is transmitted by ______________.

Answer 2

the Ixodes scapularis tick (like the archer Robin of Ixodes)

Question 3

The Ixodes tick mainly lives in ________________.

Answer 3

mice –when larval –and white-tail deer –when mature (represented by the mouse and deer in the background)

Note: it’s helpful to think that mice are smaller than deer and larvae are smaller than mature ticks.

Question 4

What stain helps visualize Borrelia?

Answer 4

Wright-Giemsa (like the other archers, Sir Wright and Sir Giemsa)

Question 5

Describe the three stages of Lyme disease.

Answer 5

• Stage 1: painless, non-pruritic bull’s eye rash (like the bull’s eye being shot at by Robin); flu-like illness (Sir Wright sweating)
• Stage 2: heart block caused by myocarditis (like the shield held by the guy in front of the second target); bilateral Bell’s palsy (like the two bells held above that guy)
• Stage 3: migratory polyarthritis (like the swinging straw man with the arrow in his knee); encephalitis (arrow in head and Sir Giemsa is confused)

Question 6

What are the three treatments for Borrelia?

Answer 6

• Doxycycline (like the unicycle that Robin’s on)
• Ceftriaxone (like the three axes on Robin’s shield)
• Amoxicillin (like the Robin poster in the amoxicillin Sketch)