Radboud Annals of Medical Students

RAMS

  • Home
  • Sign up – Masterclasses 2023!
  • News
    • Newsletter archive
  • About
    • RAMS
    • The Board
    • The General Board
      • The General Board (2022-2023)
      • Previous General Boards
    • The Editorial Board
      • The Editorial Board (2022-2023)
      • Previous Editorial Boards
    • The Supervisory Board
    • Reviewers and Editors
    • RAMS Committees
      • Symposium Committee
      • Masterclass Committee
  • Editions
    • 2021-2022
      • Twentieth Edition – September 2021
      • Twentyfirst Edition – December 2021
      • Twenty second Edition – March 2022
    • 2020-2021
      • Sixteenth edition – September 2020
      • Seventeenth edition – December 2020
      • Eighteenth edition – March 2021
      • Nineteenth Edition – June 2021
    • 2019-2020
      • Fourteenth edition – December 2019
      • Fifteenth edition – April 2020
      • Sixteenth edition – September 2020
    • 2018-2019
      • Eleventh Edition – September 2018
      • Twelfth Edition – January 2019
      • Thirteenth edition – May 2019
    • 2017 – 2018
      • Ninth Edition – November 2017
      • Tenth Edition – February 2018
    • 2016-2017
      • Sixth Edition – November 2016
      • Seventh Edition – March 2017
      • Eighth Edition – July 2017
    • 2015-2016
      • Third Edition – November 2015
      • Fourth Edition – March 2016
      • Fifth Edition – June 2016
    • 2014-2015
      • Pilot Edition – June 2014
      • First Edition – January 2015
      • Second Edition – June 2015
  • For Authors
    • Submit your Article
    • Research internship
  • For Supervisors
  • For Reviewers
  • Contact
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookiebeleid (EU)
Je bent hier: Home / News / Silent summer killer

Silent summer killer

1 augustus 2018 by Rams

By Maaike Plug

When you think of summer, the following thoughts will probably cross your mind: swimming, sunbathing, eating ice cream, drinking cocktails until late in the evening and chilling with friends in the park. There is, however, a silent killer that could cause a horrible disease with several symptoms. I am talking about Lyme disease, caused by a tick.

Well, it is actually not the tick that causes Lyme disease, but the bacteria Borrelia Burgdorferi. This bacteria can occur in the blood of small rodents or birds. When the tick bites these animals, the bacteria will be transferred to the tick along with the blood. Subsequently, when humans get bitten by the tick, they will be infected with Borrelia Burgdorferi. Luckily, only 1 out of 5 ticks carry the Borrelia Burgdorferi bacteria so the chance of receiving Lyme disease is low. Every year, over 1 million people get bitten by a tick in the Netherlands, whereof 2 out of 100 people will get Lyme disease (27.000 patients a year) [1].

The diagnosis of Lyme disease can be made through the symptom pattern in combination with a serologic blood test for Borrelia-antibodies [1]. The first symptom of Lyme disease is a skin lesion called erythema migrans at the site of a tick bite. However, only 80% of the patients with Lyme disease will develop an erythema migrans [2]. Patients with an early infection will be treated with antibiotics, such as oral doxycycline or amoxicillin [3]. When untreated, patients can develop a headache, neurologic or cardiac abnormalities, like loss of power, tingling sensations in the limbs and/or palpitations, fever or arthritis after a few weeks or months. The disease is then chronic and can be very intense for patients. Treatment then also consists of antibiotics, but some problems might still remain, such as  chronic fatigue, encephalopathy, depression, schizophrenia or acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans [1]. Some studies even demonstrated that prolonged treatment with antibiotics can increase the risk of this symptoms, due to resistance of the Borrelia Burgdorferi against the antibiotics [4].

Although not every tick carries the Borrelia Burgdorferi, it is important to check for ticks when you have been outside, especially because ticks can be found in high grass and in particular, the forest. In this way, you can enjoy the summer and still be protected against Lyme disease and its symptoms.

 

[1] Rivm. Ziekte van Lyme. in, Vol. 2018 (2018)  (Last Accessed on July 5, 2018).
[2] Burgdorfer, W., et al. Lyme disease-a tick-borne spirochetosis? Science (New York, N.Y.) 216, 1317-1319 (1982).
[3] Steere, A.C. & Sikand, V.K. The presenting manifestations of Lyme disease and the outcomes of treatment. The New England journal of medicine 348, 2472-2474 (2003).
[4] Halperin, J., Baker, P & Wormser, G. Common Misconceptions About Lyme Disease. The American journal of medicine 126(3), 264 (2013)

Categorie: News

RAMS Newsletter

RAMS complies to the GDPR. By submitting your e-mail address to us you agree with our Privacy Policy.

Social Media


Sponsors & Partners

  • Brian Gardner
  • Lauren Mancke
  • Nathan Rice
  • Nick Croft
  • Rafal Tomal
  • Ron Rennick
© Copyright 2014 RADBOUD ANNALS OF MEDICAL STUDENTS · All Rights Reserved · Powered by PLatform11
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Altijd ingeschakeld
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDuurOmschrijving
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
OPSLAAN & ACCEPTEREN
Aangedreven door CookieYes Logo