Lymes disease

What is Lyme disease?

Borreliosis (in Europe mainly Lyme borreliosis or Lyme disease) is a bacterial infectious disease transmitted by ticks, which initially manifests itself primarily on the skin (frequently in the form of a migratory rash), in addition to flu-like symptoms. During later stages, inflammatory processes also take place in the nervous system, the joints and the heart.

Lyme disease cause

An infection with Lyme disease follows a tick bite. Depending on the region, 5-35% of all ticks are infected by Lyme disease germs. The most common causative agent in Europe is the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi.

Tick bites are prevalent from March to November, but the infection is diagnosed throughout the year, because sometimes there can be a delayed onset of the disease.

Currently, no vaccine is available against Lyme disease, but by avoiding tick bites (protective clothing, avoiding tall grasses) or by early and correct removal of the tick (within 24 hours) an infection can be prevented.

Lyme disease symptoms

Lyme disease can lead to typical symptoms within three days, but can also remain without symptoms for many weeks. The most common early symptom is an expanding circular red rash (erythema migrans). This is a ring-shaped redness of the skin surrounding the puncture site of the tick, often associated with recurrent symptoms such as fever, exhaustion, joint and muscle pain (knees and elbows). As the early stage of the infection progresses (2-10 months), cutaneous nodules may form predominantly on the earlobe and nipples. They are painless, appear reddish to brown in color and are called lymphocytomas.

In advanced stages, patients may suffer from paralysis, numbness mainly in the face and in addition burning pain in the proximity of the tick bite.

Several laboratory markers and detection methods of Lyme disease are available. Some of these are testing for IgG and IgM antibodies or detecting Lyme disease DNA at affected regions. Such samples can be skin biopsies, samples of joint fluid and cerebrospinal fluid.

Lyme disease therapy

In early stages, Lyme disease is treated with a two-week regimen of the antibiotic drug doxycycline. Should the infection already be advanced, then antibiotics can be prescribed for up to 4 weeks, with the antibiotic Ceftriaxone being the drug of choice. To reach a high level of effectiveness, ceftriaxone is often administered intravenously, that means directly into the bloodstream.

So far, no vaccine against Lyme disease has been approved in Germany.

Lyme disease risks and complications

If left untreated, Lyme disease can progress. During the second stage, there is an inflammation of the brain and meninges (meningoencephalitis), which can turn into life-threatening situations.

The patients suffer from burning pain in areas hit by the infection. This is due to an inflammation of the nerve root in the spinal cord. Moreover, numbness and paralysis - often in the face - may be experienced.

Besides neurological symptoms, joint and muscle inflammation may develop, with the heart muscle (myocarditis) being affected as well.