In the Lyme Light: Beyond The Tick Bite (Part One)

Unbiased Science

On this week’s episode, we start our discussion about Lyme disease, an infection that is riddled with misconceptions and misinformation. First, we open the conversation with a primer on ticks as disease vectors, including an overview of different tick species and the array of different tick-borne pathogens that exist. We then discuss Lyme disease specifically, a bacterial infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi that is transmitted by specific species of ticks. We spend some time focusing on how the best offense is defense – and discuss best practices for avoiding tick bites, including tick checks, repellents, and pesticides that are effective. We elaborate on the infection process if you are bit by an infected tick, including which ticks are actually able to spread infection and how it occurs, as well as how infection is diagnosed and treated. At the end of the episode, we start our discussion on the different pathology of disease, as a primer for part 2, which will elaborate on illness itself and dispel many of the myths associated with Lyme disease.

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