Borreliose - www.infektionsschutz.de (2024)

FAQs

What are the symptoms of a Borrelia infection? ›

Typical symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans. If left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the nervous system. Lyme disease is diagnosed based on symptoms, physical findings (e.g., rash), and the possibility of exposure to infected ticks.

Many people infected with the Lyme bacteria will never have symptoms and may cure it on their own without treatment. Lyme disease, if symptomatic, usually starts with a rash that is often described as a "bullseye."

Lyme disease is caused by infection with the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. Although most cases of Lyme disease can be cured with a 2- to 4-week course of oral antibiotics, patients can sometimes have symptoms of pain, fatigue, or difficulty thinking that last for more than 6 months after they finish treatment.

Since the deer tick that transmits Lyme disease typically feeds for >36 hours before transmission of the spirochete, the risk of acquiring Lyme disease from an observed tick bite, for example, is only 1 to 3 percent, even in an area where the disease is common.

The Borrelia are spiral-shaped organisms that collectively belong to a group of bacteria known as spirochetes. These bacteria have been placed taxonomically into the order Spirochaetales, which includes two families: Spirochaetaceae and Leptospiraceae.

Untreated Lyme disease can produce a wide range of symptoms, depending on the stage of infection. These include fever, rash, facial paralysis, and arthritis.

The first sign of Lyme disease is often an expanding round or oval red "bullseye" rash. If left untreated, people may develop neurological symptoms and heart problems, and have an approximately 60 percent chance of developing Lyme arthritis.

Taking antibiotics for one to four weeks, as directed by a doctor, successfully kills all the Lyme-disease bacteria in the patient's body. Unfortunately, a small percentage of people continue to feel symptoms for many months or even years after these bacteria have been eliminated.

If Lyme disease continues to be left untreated, it can become established in various parts of the body over months or years after the initial infection. Symptoms include: Joint pain and swelling (Lyme arthritis). Approximately 60% of people not treated with antibiotics will develop recurring attacks of arthritis.

“We often hear about delayed diagnosis, and doctors will tell patients, 'You can't possibly have Lyme disease. There's no Lyme disease in California,'” she said. “California has high diversity in its ecology and what that means is that strains causing Lyme disease can be different than they are on the East Coast.”

What foods should be avoided with Lyme disease? ›

Late Lyme disease usually develops 6-36 months after a person first receives the causal infectious tick bite.

The reaction to a tick bite may persist for several months to several years and can sometimes cause histopathological granuloma. The long-term reaction to salivary extracts from the tick could be responsible for development of granuloma in our patient.

Prophylaxis can be started within 72 hours of tick removal. The patient has no contraindication to doxycycline.

Onset of symptoms is three to 14 days (average seven days) after tick bite. Initial symptoms may include: high fever, severe headache, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting and loss of appetite. Later symptoms: rash (two to six days after onset of fever), abdominal pain, joint pain and diarrhea.

Stage 1, or early localized Lyme disease, occurs within one month of the tick bite. You may have an expanding, circular red rash (erythema migrans), and/or flu-like symptoms. Some people do not have symptoms. Stage 2, or early disseminated infection, can develop days to weeks after you become infected.

Lyme disease rash

People with Lyme disease might get a bull's-eye rash. The rash gradually spreads over a period of days. Early symptoms of Lyme disease usually happen within 3 to 30 days after a tick bite.

Borreliosis, also known as Lyme disease, is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected ticks. Ticks become infected when they feed on birds or mammals that carry the bacterium in their blood.

If Lyme disease continues to be left untreated, it can become established in various parts of the body over months or years after the initial infection. Symptoms include: Joint pain and swelling (Lyme arthritis). Approximately 60% of people not treated with antibiotics will develop recurring attacks of arthritis.