Lyme disease vs. Zika virus, differences in symptoms, causes, and treatment – Bel Marra Health

By: Dr. Victor Marchione | General Health | Wednesday, June 29, 2016 – 03:00 PM


lyme disease vs. zika virusLyme health problem and Zika virus are known as zoonotic diseases, meaning they come from pet dogs and spread to humans. The two illnesses are currently on the rise in the U.S. and worldwide, so it’s necessary to have actually a good discovering of each in order to effectively protect on your own and your family.

Lyme health problem is transmitted through tick bites, while Zika virus is spread by mosquitoes. The two can easily lead to quite serious conditions and complications. Lyme health problem can easily be contracted in the U.S. where the habitats for the ticks that spread Lyme health problem can easily be found. Zika, on the others hand, is mainly spreading through the Central and South America, and even though there are some American cases, too, there is no local transmission, as of yet.

Lyme health problem or Zika virus: Which one is much more dangerous?

Although Zika virus is constantly showing up in news headlines, you must probably be much more concerned regarding Lyme disease. Zika virus is a much more serious threat if you are travelling to countries along with the infected mosquito. Lyme disease, on the others hand, is locally transmitted, so if you’re not careful you might actually create Lyme health problem means prior to you even run the risk of contracting Zika virus.

The prevalence of Lyme health problem is growing, though providing any kind of particular estimates is difficult for the CDC as lots of cases go unreported or are misdiagnosed for yet another condition.

Zika virus poses the largest threat to fetuses and pregnant women, however Lyme health problem can easily actually create in to a chronic ailment for those infected. On the others hand, Zika virus does not have actually a cure or any kind of treatment available, whereas Lyme health problem does. Still, the risk of troubles rises along with the delay of Lyme health problem treatment.

It’s hard to say for sure which one is necessarily much more dangerous, however overall Lyme health problem poses a larger risk – right in your very own backyard.

Lyme health problem vs. Zika virus: U.S. prevalence

lyme disease inflammationThere are roughly 30,000 Lyme health problem cases reported annually, however it’s not an accurate reflection of exactly how lots of cases actually occur, as these are only incidences reported to the Centers for health problem Regulate and Prevention.

In order to improve data collection on Lyme disease, the CDC has actually set out two different studies known as Project 1 and Project 2. Project 1 estimated 228,000 cases of Lyme health problem through laboratory testing, and Project 2 estimated 329,000 cases of Lyme health problem based on medical claims write-up from insurance databases.

There are no locally transmitted cases for Zika, however the U.S. has actually reported a total of 820 cases accounting for those that have actually travelled overseas. There are ongoing talks that Zika virus mosquitoes might end up in the Southern U.S. or even along the East coast as a result of global warming.

Difference between Zika virus and Lyme disease: Signs and symptoms

Zika virus symptoms include fever, rash, joint pain, red eyes, headaches, and muscle pain. lots of Zika patients will certainly not experience any kind of symptoms, so they continue to be unaware of the virus, which improves the risk of transmission to others. Furthermore, Zika incubation period is still not known well, however researchers estimate it is anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.

Early signs of Lyme health problem include fever, chills, headache, muscle and joint pain, swollen lymph nodes, and erythema migrans rash, which looks love a bull’s eye. As the health problem progresses, symptoms can easily worsen in to severe headache and neck stiffness, along with additional rashes, arthritis accompanied by severe joint pain and swelling, muscle loss in the face, intermittent pain in the tendons, joints and bones, heart palpitations or irregular heartbeat, dizziness or shortness of breath, nerve pain, shooting pain, numbness or tingling, and complications along with short-term memory.

Comparing Zika and Lyme disease: induces and transmission

Lyme disease transmitted by ticks reported in nearly half of all U.S. countiesLyme health problem is caused by a bite from the Ixodes scapularis, or deer tick. These ticks are not inherently infected along with Lyme disease, however very they grab it from feeding on an affected animal. These ticks can easily be found in wooded lands and prefer damp areas underneath the trees. Due to the fact that ticks are so tiny, it is difficult to notice that they are on you, let alone that they are biting you, so it’s necessary that you cover your physique and check on your own every so frequently if you are going out for a hike.

Tick populations are greater in the East, Midwest, and West coast, however can easily be found every one of across the U.S.

There is some debate regarding exactly how long it takes for a tick to infect a person. Some experts suggest it’s up to 24 hours from attachment, and others believe it’s even much less compared to that. Essentially, the longer a tick is attached to you, the greater your risk of Lyme health problem is.

Zika virus are transmitted through bites of mosquitoes from the Andes species. These mosquitoes commonly lay their eggs near standing water and are rather aggressive throughout the day, however can easily likewise bite at night. Mosquitoes choose up the virus after biting an infected person and go on to transmit it to others people through bites.

Zika transmission can easily likewise occur from mother to fetus, sexual contact, and blood transfusions. Once you are infected, you become immune to that virus.

Zika vs. Lyme disease: Risk factors and complications

Risk factors for Lyme health problem include spending long hours in grassy, woody areas (especially in the East, Midwest, and West coast), having exposed skin as ticks can easily easily attach themselves to bare skin, and failing to remove ticks properly once detected. Furthermore, the quicker you remove a tick from your skin, the lower your risk of contracting Lyme health problem will certainly be.

If Lyme health problem is caught early, antibiotics can easily be provided immediately to reduce complications, however if treatment is delayed, chronic troubles can easily arise, including fatigue, arthritis, joint pain, headaches, short-term memory problems, numbness, Bell’s palsy (facial paralysis), heart problems, including slow or irregular heartbeat, and depression, which can easily be set off by living along with the troubles of Lyme disease.

Risk factors of Zika virus include being bitten by an infected mosquito (which is much more most likely if you visit a country where these mosquitoes thrive), having sexual intercourse along with a person that is infected, and being pregnant, as you can easily pass the virus on to the fetus, leading to birth defects.

The biggest troubles resulting from Zika virus are birth defects in babies and Guillain-Barre syndrome. even though much research has actually come to light revealing an association between birth defects and Zika virus, additional research is still called for in order to fully understand the mechanisms behind this association.

Additionally, troubles are much more most likely to arise in pregnant women or women attempting to grab pregnant. If a woman is attempting to grab pregnant or is pregnant, the CDC advises that they prevent areas along with known cases of Zika and take the crucial precautions to protect themselves versus mosquito bites. This can easily be done by using a mosquito repellent, wearing long sleeves and long pants, and staying indoors as much as possible.

For women living in Zika-ridden areas, the use of condoms is highly recommended as an alternative to abstaining from sex. The same protocol must be considered if a male has actually visited a Zika-ridden country and has actually returned – he must refrain from sex for at least eight weeks. If a man has actually been diagnosed along with Zika, sex must be avoided for 6 months.

Difference in Lyme health problem and Zika virus: Diagnosis and treatment

CDC-LymeRashDiagnosing Lyme health problem entails looking for the erythema migrans rash, which is reported in 70 percent of Lyme health problem cases. Your doctor will certainly likewise evaluate your symptoms and confirm the diagnosis along with blood work.

For Lyme health problem treatment, your doctor will certainly put you on a regime of antibiotics, which could be taken for several weeks. It’s necessary that you for good complete your antibiotics, even if you start feeling better. Remember that some antibiotics might make your skin much more sensitive to the sun, so you must prevent being out in the sunlight for prolonged periods of time.

Zika virus is diagnosed by examining the patient’s medical history, asking if they have actually recently travelled abroad, and operating blood examinations to look for viruses in the blood.

Because there is no vaccine available for Zika, you need to utilize alternative prevention ways in order to lower your risk of contracting the virus. Prevention pointers for Zika include:

  • Stay in air-conditioned and well-screened homes.
  • Reschedule outdoor activities and prevent higher times for mosquitoes.
  • Wear protective clothing – long sleeves, long pants, hats, socks, and shoes.
  • Use mosquito repellent.
  • Reduce mosquito habitat selections – remove standing water, which can easily be found in fountains, buckets, etc.

Treatments for Zika virus include getting plenty of rest, drinking fluids to Avoid dehydration, and taking medication to reduce fever and pain. Do not take anti-inflammatory or aspirin to treat Zika virus.

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