How does Lyme disease manifest from a tick? - briefly
A tick bite transmits Borrelia burgdorferi, leading to an expanding red rash (erythema migrans) accompanied by fever, chills, headache, fatigue, and muscle aches within days to weeks. If left untreated, the infection can disseminate to joints, the heart, and the nervous system, causing arthritis, carditis, and neuropathy.
How does Lyme disease manifest from a tick? - in detail
After an infected Ixodes tick attaches, the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi is introduced into the dermis. Transmission typically requires 36–48 hours of feeding; the organism then multiplies locally before spreading through the bloodstream.
Early localized phase (3–30 days)
- Expanding erythema migrans, often >5 cm, with central clearing; may be accompanied by mild fever, chills, headache, fatigue, myalgia, and arthralgia.
- Lesion appears at the bite site, usually within a week, and expands over several days.
- Absence of systemic organ involvement.
Early disseminated phase (weeks to months)
- Multiple erythema migrans on distant body sites.
- Neurological signs: facial nerve palsy, meningitis (neck stiffness, photophobia), radiculopathy, peripheral neuropathy.
- Cardiac involvement: atrioventricular block, myocarditis, pericarditis.
- Migratory joint pain without swelling.
Late disseminated phase (months to years)
- Chronic mono‑ or oligo‑articular arthritis, most often affecting the knee; synovial fluid shows inflammatory cells but no bacteria.
- Persistent neurological deficits: encephalopathy, memory problems, peripheral neuropathy, cranial nerve dysfunction.
- Occasionally, skin manifestations such as acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans.
The progression follows a predictable timeline, but overlapping symptoms are common. Laboratory confirmation relies on serologic testing (ELISA followed by Western blot) after the immune response matures; early lesions may be diagnosed clinically when characteristic erythema migrans is present. Prompt antibiotic therapy (doxycycline, amoxicillin, or cefuroxime) during the early stages prevents most complications and reduces the likelihood of chronic manifestations.