Ticks
Lyme disease is a disease you may get if a tick bites you. Lyme disease is caused by bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferi. The bacteria is corkscrew-shaped. Ixodes ticks which are also know as black-legged or deer ticks are a type of tick that feeds on animals that carry the bacterium. When the tick feeds on infected animals then bites, it can pass the bacterium on. Ticks are approximately one to five mm in length. Ticks feed on blood. However, …show more content…
There are three types of ticks. The first type is deer ticks and they are tiny. Next, the second type is immature ticks. They are also known as “nymphs” and are the size of a poppy seed. The last type is adult ticks and they are the size of a sesame seed. In Ontario, ticks are commonly found in rural areas along the north shores of Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. It is possible for people to encounter ticks almost anywhere in Ontario.
What Happens When You Get Lyme Disease? Lyme disease can affect these body systems: nervous, joints, skin and heart. There are three stages but not everyone experiences all of the stages. The first stage is when within one to two weeks of the infection you get a circular rash at the site of the bite. This is usually the first sign. The circular rash typically looks like a central red spot surrounded by clear skin that is ringed by an expanding red rash. It also may appear as …show more content…
Having such a wide range of symptoms can make Lyme disease difficult to diagnose. Fortunately, blood tests look for evidence of the body’s reaction to Lyme disease. There is currently no vaccine. Lyme disease is not contagious but you can get it more than once. The risk of developing Lyme disease after bitten is one percent to three percent. It takes at least twenty-four to forty-eight hours for the tick to transmit the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. If you get bitten, remove the tick. Put the tick in a container with alcohol. Use tweezers to grasp the tick at its head or mouth, next to the skin. Pull until it lets go of your skin. If part of the tick stays, it will come out eventually. Swab the bite with alcohol. The treatment for Lyme disease is a two to four week course of antibiotics. Cases of Lyme disease that are diagnosed quickly and treated with antibiotics usually have a good result. Our body systems are interdependent and must work together in order to maintain homeostasis. This is why immediate treatment is necessary, many essential body systems mentioned previously may be damaged. The immune/lymphatic system has white blood cells which will undergo apoptosis (when cells that are no longer useful die). Some cells may be “out of work” when they finish fighting the Lyme disease. White blood cells protect the body from disease. Antibiotics stop bacteria from growing by