Robert Hindes, MD, has nearly three decades of experience in infectious diseases and clinical research. After completing an infectious disease fellowship at Harvard Medical School, Robert Hindes, MD, has been involved in clinical research studies to find a vaccine for lyme disease. There is currently a vaccine available for animals, but none is approved for use in humans.
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection and is the widest occurring disease spread by ticks in North America. It is transmitted to humans through the bite of a blacklegged tick, also known as a deer tick. These tiny creatures are commonly found in grassy and wooded regions.
The first sign of the disease is usually a circular rash at the site of the tick bite. The size of the rash varies from person to person.
Other symptoms may include fatigue, fever, muscle and joint pain, headaches, and chills. Left untreated, the disease can cause arthritis, heart problems, peripheral neurologic symptoms, and inflammation of spinal cord.
Because most of its early symptoms mimic those of the flu, the diagnosis of lyme disease is often missed. Laboratory testing may provide useful information to help diagnose the disease, which is treated with antibiotics, and results in cure in the great majority of patients treated.
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection and is the widest occurring disease spread by ticks in North America. It is transmitted to humans through the bite of a blacklegged tick, also known as a deer tick. These tiny creatures are commonly found in grassy and wooded regions.
The first sign of the disease is usually a circular rash at the site of the tick bite. The size of the rash varies from person to person.
Other symptoms may include fatigue, fever, muscle and joint pain, headaches, and chills. Left untreated, the disease can cause arthritis, heart problems, peripheral neurologic symptoms, and inflammation of spinal cord.
Because most of its early symptoms mimic those of the flu, the diagnosis of lyme disease is often missed. Laboratory testing may provide useful information to help diagnose the disease, which is treated with antibiotics, and results in cure in the great majority of patients treated.