Investigating Lymes Disease Symptoms
and Current Vaccines and Possible Future
Ideas to Develop a New Vaccine.
By: Nina M. Holz
Some Basic Background Information
Regarding Ticks and Lymes Disease

The tick that passes enables animals to contract Lymes Disease is
called: Ixodes scapularis.

The ticks generally feed on a wide variety of small mammals, birds,
and reptiles, but prefer to feed on white-footed mice (Peromyscus
leucopus), which are the important reservoir of infection in nature.

Adults prefer to feed and mate on white-tailed deer .

The infection is a bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi. The ticks usually
get infected from feeding on a infected host.

Not all humans that get bite by ticks get Lymes diesease

Only ticks that are infected with the bacteria can give Lymes to
humans

This is generally after a prolonged amount of time feeding on the
human where they can also get Lymes disease
Internal Anatomy of a Tick

Shown to the left is
the internal anatomy
of a tick. The picture
shows the major areas
involved in feeding
and reproducing in
the tick.
Early Onset Symptoms of
Lymes Disease

Within 1-4 weeks of being bitten by an
infected tick, most people will experience
some symptoms of Lyme disease.

A circular, expanding rash (called erythema
migrans) at the site of the bite develops in
about 70%-80% of cases.

Some people report flu-like symptoms at this
stage, including fever, chills, headaches,
fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, joint pain, and
muscle aches.” (WebMD)
Mid-Stage Onset Symptoms
of Lymes Disease

If the disease is not detected and treated in its
early stages, it can extend to more areas of the
body, affecting the joints, heart, and nervous
system (about 1-4 months after the initial bite).

Additional rashes may occur, and there may be
intermittent periods of pain and weakness in the
arms or legs.

Facial-muscle paralysis (Bell's palsy), headaches,
and poor memory are other symptoms at this
stage, along with a rapid heartbeat and some
loss of control of facial muscles.” (WebMD)
Late-Stage Onset Symptoms
of Lymes Disease

This is the most serious stage of the disease, when
treatment was either not successful or never
started (usually occurring many months after the
initial bite).

Joint inflammation (arthritis), typically in the
knees, becomes apparent, and may become
chronic.

The nervous system can develop abnormal
sensation because of disease of peripheral nerves
(peripheral neuropathy), and confusion.

Heart problems are less common, but can include
inflammation of the heart muscle.” (WebMD)
Current Treatments for
Lymes Disease

Most Lyme disease is curable with
antibiotics, particularly when the infection
is diagnosed and treated early.

Doxycycline, amoxicillin, and cefuroxime
are the drugs of choice most of the time
for early illness.

Later stages might require longer-term,
intravenous antibiotics, such as
ceftriaxone.” (WebMD)
Vaccines made for Lymes
Disease

Currently, there is no human vaccine for Lyme
disease.

The one that did exist -- LYMErix -- is no longer
available.

Originally approved by the FDA in 1998 to help
prevent the disease, the vaccine was pulled from
the market by the manufacturer in 2002 due to
poor sales.

There was concern that the vaccine could trigger
arthritis problems, although the FDA never
found evidence that the vaccine was dangerous.”
(WebMD)
Possible Ideas for a Future
Vaccine for Lymes Disease

Since the Salp15 protein is the protein
that enables the bacteria to enter the
host initially undetected, learning
more about the protein anatomy and
morphology would be beneficial.

If there is some way to possibly
degrade the protein so that the
bacteria is exposed and becomes
vulnerable, I think this would allow
the host’s body to fight off the bacteria
faster and more efficiently with
hopefully less damage to the body.