The Effects Of Lyme Disease On The Geographical...

Introduction Statistics obtained from the Center of Disease Control and Prevention show that there are approximately 300,000 cases of Lyme Disease reported in the United States annually (CDC, 2016). The above data categorizes Lyme Disease as the number one animal carried and vector-borne disease. Vector is a term used to describe a living organism able to carry and spread an infectious disease from either animal to human or human to human (WHO, 2016). Surprisingly, it was not until 1982 that the CDC placed Lyme as an official disease category. Even though the awareness of the Lyme disease increased throughout the years, many people are still unaware of the symptoms, transmission methods as well as the underlying cause of the disease†¦show more content†¦14). Yale scientist Allen Steere is credited as being the first to recognize, name, characterize and treat the affliction that became known as Lyme Disease. The disease was named after the town of Old Lyme, Connecticut, where an outbreak of arthritis and juvenile arthritis led two women to seek assistance of medical professionals. Steere was particularly interested in rheumatology. Once he learned about multiple cases of affected patients displaying similar symptoms to those of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, he immediately questioned the diagnosis. He decided to conduct a phone survey among other young affected patients. Upon collecting data, he noticed that these symptoms were also accompanied by a red circular rash. He concluded that the above health issue was caused by an infectious agent (Yannielli Alcamo, 2004, p. 18). Since the city of Old Lyme was established near the Connecticut River, Steere, along with other scientists, initially suspected that the drinking water might have co ntained an infectious agent. However, he soon realized that his hypothesis was not true, since not every member of a family was experiencing the symptoms. Further research found that most cases occurred between spring and summer. He later recalled that some patients reported a tick attachment prior to the