FAQ about Lyme Disease

Lyme Disease, scientifically known as Lyme Borreliosis, is a severe neurological disease transmitted in the Northeast USA by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, or B. burgdorferi for short. Lyme Disease originated in Lyme, Connecticut, and it has been spreading West ever since. There are geographical barriers that prevent its unbridled spread, such as the Atlantic Ocean (which prevents it from spreading East), the Hudson River (which is why Dutchess County, which is at the edge of the Hudson River, has such a high incidence rate for Lyme Disease), and the Great Lakes (although Lyme Disease is beginning to spread to Michigan as well).

Ticks which have this bacteria on them can transmit the bacteria to their hosts, which, in our area, can range from deer, to mice, to opossums, to shrews, to of course, humans. In the Dutchess County, where the Elymenators live, tick populations have been growing over time, so Lyme Disease has been spreading more and more.



What's "B. burgdorferi" and why can't we stop it?
 

​B. Burgdorferi is actually a spirochete, like syphilis. Spirochetes use axial filaments to "spiral" their way through a fluids. This form of movement protects the bacteria from the host's immune system. This, already, makes it a more resilient bacteria. Additionally, the bacteria is very difficult to culture, so it is difficult to conduct prolonged, intensive research with the bacteria. It is also exceptional in that it can survive without iron. 

B. Burgdorferi, once transmitted to a mammal, spreads through the animal's bloodstream and creates biotoxins which attach to fatty cells. Since the nervous system is mainly composed of fatty cells, the biotoxins attach to the nervous system and inhibit normal neuron action by interfering with the passage of neurotransmitters. Hence, the bacteria has a variety of neurological impacts on mammals, depending on how severe the case of Lyme Disease is. In some cases, the bacteria's actions will manifest themselves through a series of headaches, whereas in very severe cases, they will be manifested through forms of autism, depression, or paralysis.

Why don't we just make a vaccine?



Scientists have actually developed a vaccine for Lyme Disease and sold it. However, it was taken off the market shortly after because the demand for the vaccine was not high enough since Lyme Disease was not yet very widespread and because in the areas which Lyme Disease did affect, populations were not educated enough to understand the importance of getting a Lyme Disease vaccination.  



Don't ticks mainly prey on deer? How do other animals relate?

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​Before the research of Dr. Ostfeld and his co-workers at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, it was commonly thought that deer were the main hosts for ticks in the Northeast USA, hence the name deer ticks. However, Ostfeld's research showed how much stronger the positive correlation between mice populations, tick populations, and Lyme Disease rates in areas were than the positive correlation between deer populations, tick populations, and Lyme Disease rates. Ostfeld was able to establish a clearly causal relationship between the number of mice and incidence rates of Lyme Disease, which he published in his research. 

After his research was conducted, field crews at Cary Institute began capturing mice in three study sites to examine them for tick nymphs (because mice could not have adult ticks not them, but deer and humans can).

So, once it was clear that mice were very, very strongly related to the level of tick populations, it followed that since foxes prey on mice, where foxes were abundant, the mice populations were low, and the Lyme Disease incidence rates were lower. Where coyotes were abundant, there were fewer foxes (since they occupy similar niches), the mice populations were higher, and the Lyme Disease incidence rates were higher. Ostfeld's research proved each of these claims.