Summary
Lyme disease is caused by a bacterium carried by ticks. Early Lyme disease symptoms are flu-like, including fatigue, sore throat, swollen lymph glands, and neck and back pain. A red, bullseye rash can also occur. After the bacteria spreads through the body, additional symptoms may include joint and muscle pain, and meningitis, Bell's palsy, and nervous system involvement may arise. Most cases of Lyme disease can be treated with a course of antibiotics, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and prevention includes using insect repellant and removing ticks promptly from skin and clothing. This updated edition of Lyme Disease covers the latest research about the disease, its treatment, and its effects on the human body.
Chapters include:
- An Introduction to Lyme Disease
- The History of Lyme Disease
- The Lyme Disease Bacteria
- Ticks and Lyme Disease
- Ecology and Lyme Disease
- Lyme Disease Epidemiology
- The Tests and Treatments for Lyme Disease
- The Lyme Vaccine.
About the Author(s)
Len Yannielli is a professor of biology at Naugatuck Valley Community College in Waterbury, Connecticut, where he teaches microbiology, human biology, and environmental science. He is presently engaged in ecological research on Navarino Island in the Cape Horn Archipelago of Chile.
Dr. Alan Hecht is a practicing chiropractor in New York. He is also an adjunct professor at Farmingdale State College, Nassau Community College, and the C. W. Post campus of Long Island University. He teaches courses in medical microbiology, health and human disease, anatomy and physiology, comparative anatomy, human physiology, human nutrition, embryology, and general biology.