As the time spent outdoors increases in the spring months, the incidence of external infections may increase. Especially during this period, Lyme infection caused by ticks manifests itself with symptoms that disrupt the lives of patients. It is stated that Lyme infection, which is thought to be transmitted only by ticks, can be transmitted by some pests such as flies, beetles, bedbugs, cockroaches, and scorpions, as well as vectors (carriers, intermediaries) such as lice and fleas that come with cats. For this reason, it is necessary to be more careful when spending time in open areas. Prof. from the Department of Infectious Diseases. Dr. Vedat Turhan stated that Lyme infection is a problem that concerns the entire public health.
“IT IS ALSO DIFFICULT TO DETECT”
Prof. Dr. Vedat Turhan said, “Lyme is such an infectious disease that it is an epidemic problem that concerns all countries in the northern hemisphere. It is also frequently seen in our country. “Lyme infection, often called a ghost disease, is difficult to detect because it mimics more than 300 diseases,” he said.
IT IS COMMON IN TURKEY
Stating that patients may have fever in the early stages of Lyme infection, Prof. Dr. Vedat Turhan said, “Lyme, which is often seen in regions such as America and Europe, is not suspected in our country, but Lyme can also be seen frequently in Turkey. High fever is almost never encountered in prolonged and established Lyme cases.
Although there may be high levels of “CRP” and “WBC” in blood tests in new-onset, that is, acute Lyme cases, in patients with prolonged Lyme, these often show normal or very slight elevations that are not significant. For this reason, Lyme cases are often overlooked. However, acute Lyme and prolonged or chronic Lyme infection are important and quite common diseases in Turkey, as in the entire northern hemisphere,” he said.
IT CAN ALSO BE TRANSMITTED BY FLY AND FLEAS
Noting that Lyme is not only a disease transmitted by ticks, Prof. Dr. Turhan said, “As it has been better understood in recent years, Borrelia bacteria that cause Lyme disease can be transmitted not only by ticks, but also by some pests such as flies, bugs, bedbugs, cockroaches, scorpions, as well as vectors (carriers, intermediaries) such as lice and fleas that come with cats.
Again, as has been better understood in recent years, Lyme can be transmitted sexually between spouses. Again, if mothers have Lyme disease, they can physically transmit these bacteria to their offspring without realizing it, through the placenta to the fetus they carry during pregnancy, or through the nutrient and circulation bridge called the umbilical cord.”
IT MIMITS 300 DISEASES
Pointing out that the symptoms of Lyme infection are many, Prof. Dr. Turhan said, “Lyme can mimic 300 different diseases. Weakness, fatigue, stiffness in the fingers or joints such as knees and hips, numbness and tingling in different parts of the body, menstrual irregularities in female patients, sometimes not having the strength or strength to take a step, dizziness, drowsiness, incessant, shifting and increasing These include decreasing joint and muscle pain, headache, ringing and buzzing in the ears, floaters in the eyes, dryness in the eyes, muscle twitching in the eyelids or in the arms, legs or trunk, irritable bowel syndrome, restless legs syndrome, brain fatigue, high blood pressure attacks. are some of the symptoms.
Patients often apply to branches such as neurology, orthopedics, and cardiology instead of infection departments, and they may be diagnosed with different diseases instead of Lyme. If the patient’s immune system is strong, this infection may be limited by itself or may continue to live with mild complaints. However, chronic Lyme patients will continue to live with symptoms unless diagnosed,” he said.
BASIC TREATMENT IS DONE WITH ANTIBIOTICS
Noting that the diagnosis of chronic Lyme disease can be made with some tests, Prof. Dr. Turhan added the following to his words:
“The diagnosis is made by infection specialists through ELISA or IFA antibody tests, which examine the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria in the body after a physical examination. If antibody tests are positive, confirmation is made with Western blot testing. In some cases, classical antibody tests can often give false negative results. Therefore, alternative tests can also be applied. At this point, diagnostic chaos can be ended by including dark field microscopy in routine diagnosis. Lyme is basically an infectious disease and therefore the main treatment is antibiotic therapy. Nowadays, applications such as IVIG, plasmapheresis, HBO, some specific food supplements and whole body hyperthermia can be added to the treatment depending on the cases.” (UAV)
