Integumentary Disorder Lyme s Disease - 1176 Words

Integumentary Disorder: Lyme’s Disease (Begin by defining Lyme’s Disease†¦) Lyme disease is a bacterial infection transmitted by a tick with the potential for great harm if undetected and undiagnosed. The Center for Disease Control estimates that 300,000 people are diagnosed every year with Lyme disease. â€Å"According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2013, New Hampshire had the second highest incidence rate of Lyme disease in the country.† (Blumenthal) Even though people think of this disease as an East Coast phenomenon it is actually found all over the United States and in other countries. Diagnosing Lyme disease can be difficult, which leads to misdiagnosis and treatment for other conditions. This is primarily because Lyme disease symptoms mimic several other diseases. People who spend time outdoors are at higher risk for tick bites, as are children. The disease can affect people of all ages. Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia Burgdorferi (BB). The tick acquires the virus when it feeds on wild animal hosts such as rodents and birds. Once the tick becomes infected it is able to transmit the BB to other animals and/or humans. The spread of the BB bacteria into the central nervous system varies in incidence and speed between individuals, but when it does happen the spirochaetes (bacteria that have a distinctive spiral shape and under magnification look like little telephone cords or corkscrews) may