Lyme disease treatment

General

Treatment of the Lyme disease is tedious and difficult.
Especially in the Initial stage the infection, however, has the possibility of mastering the infection. In the advanced Stages 2 and 3in which first a distribution of the pathogen in the body, and finally a Chronification the disease takes place, the effectiveness of a treatment is controversial.

As it is widespread in Europe Lyme disease - a form of borreliosis that occurs specifically in the northern hemisphere - to prevent infection with the Borrelia burgdorferi bacterium antibiotic therapy is most promising in humans.
The most common carrier of Lyme borreliosis in Germany is tick. Although there are also Mosquitoes and Brakes suspected of transmitting Borrelia, but the infection rate is nowhere near as high.

After being bitten by an infected tick, it forms inside the Incubation period of 2-4 weeks a so-called Wandering redness, also Erythema migrans called the one Rash after the tick bite represents. This is considered to be evidence of a Borrelia infection, but is unfortunately often not recognized as such. The infection can only be dealt with relatively easily at this early stage:

The RKI (Robert Koch Institute) recommends treatment with Tetracyclines for example Doxycycline®. There at Children and pregnant women Doxycycline® is contrainduced, one is softened here Amoxicillin®, or Cefuroxime® out.

Tetracyclines are a group of Antibioticsshowing the synthesis of bacteria from bacterial DNA prevent.
They dock to the bacterial proteins, the proteins from the DNA create and block their binding sites. This leads to Blockage of bacterial synthesis, the bacterial replenishment runs dry. The bacteria already produced are taken from the body's own immune system destroyed.

A Antibiosis must be in Early stage For 4 weeks, when treated in Late stage also over 4 weeks take place beyond. A prophylactic one Antibiotics-Giving after a tick bite is not recommended.

Amoxicillin® and Cefuroxime® are used in children and pregnant women. Both inhibit it Cross-linking of the bacterial wall building blocksso that the bacterial wall breaks down, without which the bacterium can no longer function.

There too Allergies against individual Antibiotics the therapy has already been tried with many different antibiotics. In studies, the therapeutic failure of individual antibiotics in the area 10-50% figured. Speak to 10-50% of the patient, the antibiotic used had no detectable effect and had to be switched to another antibiotic.
This shows on the one hand how difficult a therapy is in advanced stages and on the other hand how important it is to start therapy as early as possible.

costs

The cost of Lyme disease treatment strongly depends on the stage of the disease.

It seems logical that a 4 weeks Antibiotic therapy is less expensive than the treatment of a fulminant Borrelia infection in the late stage.
While the cost of a four-week antibiotic is around the 50€ are the costs of caring for a severely disabled patient with Signs of paralysis after neuroborreliosis 100 times higher.

Since the long-term consequences of a Borrelia infection for humans can be very diverse on the one hand and very severe on the other hand, is a Start therapy as early as possible important. A blood test using serology costs, however over 100 €, and is therefore not a general rule. Much more, there are a number of other diseases that are much more likely than Lyme disease, which can be disadvantageous for someone infected with Borrelia, as these are usually excluded first.

Duration

The duration of Lyme disease treatment is included in the early stages 2-4 weeks Antibiotic therapy.
Longer treatment times are necessary in later stages because the Bacterial load is already higher. In the later stage, meaningfulness becomes a Antibiosis currently under discussion because there is disagreement as to whether the side effects of antibiosis might outweigh the benefits that the patient derives from them.

In these cases it is difficult to strike a balance between adequate treatment on the one hand and a tolerable level of side effects on the other. The late stage can already follow a few months occur, and then become chronic for months and years. However, even at this stage, healing is still possible, even if permanent damage such as joint problems cannot be ruled out. Furthermore, changing the Antibiotic not recommended, according to guidelines it should be done after four weeks a change will be made if that is applied antibiotic seems to be having no effect.

Lyme disease treatment in animals

The differences one Lyme disease treatment in humans and animals are low:

Like my humans, most animals become infected through one Tick ​​bite with the Borrelia. The most common form of Lyme disease in the northern hemisphere is the "Lyme disease". After this was first diagnosed for humans in 1975 in Lyme in the state of Connecticut, USA, the diagnosis was made for an animal for the first time, or more precisely, in 1984 in New York dog.

The symptoms are also relatively unspecific and usually express themselves through fever, Slackness, and Loss of appetite. In later stages, the pathogen then spreads to the organ system, attacked heart, Kidneys, and liver, and can also be used to "Lyme arthritis“Lead, one arthritis which are mainly in Knee joint occurs.
This can be treated by removing excess synovial fluid from the affected one joint is punctured - a procedure that must be repeated at regular intervals.

Grab the bacteria on the Nervous system over (Neuroborreliosis), this can lead to aggressive behavior on the part of the animal. Also Movement disorders were observed. D.

he observations apply primarily to dogs, Cats appear to be relatively immune to Borrelia infection.

Borreliosis treatment is based, as with humans, on the stage, and is done using Antibiosis.
The duration of the Lyme disease treatment is 2-3 weeks, then either the Antibiotic if there is no improvement, or a discontinuation after healing.
To Forest walks it is always advisable to check the animal for ticks by combing its fur. Usually these are relatively easy to feel. The distance is best done with the help of a Tick ​​tweezersthat both in the pharmacy, as well as in Pet shops is available. With it, the tick can be unscrewed slowly and in a controlled manner.

Unlike humans, for animals there is one vaccination available. This must yearly refreshed, and after the first administration 3 to 4 weeks repeated ("boosted") become.
Fragrances are also available, which are usually applied to the neck of the animal. These cover the Scent note of the animal, and make it seem uninteresting to ticks. For cats, however, these chemotactic agents are rather unpleasant, as their personal scent is very important to them and also represents part of their personality. It should also be noted that only the most common type of Borrelia in Central Europe (borrelia burgdorfia) is vaccinated, and there are other strains against which there may be no vaccination protection.
Hence a additional protection with scents and control of the fur, especially useful for dogs.