Journal of Neuroinfectious Diseases
Open Access

Short Communication

Texas Occurrence of Lyme Disease and Its Neurological Manifestations

¹Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, Temple, Texas, USA

²Department of Neurosurgery, Baylor Scott and White Health, Temple, Texas, USA

*Corresponding Author:

Damir Nizamutdinov
Department of Neurosurgery
Baylor Scott and White Health
Temple, Texas, USA
Tel: 254-724-6853
E-mail: dnizamutdinov@medicine.tamhsc.edu

Received date: April 30, 2016; Accepted date: June 06, 2016; Published date: June 09, 2016

Citation: Dandashi JA, Nizamutdinov D, Dayawansa S, Fonkem E, Huang JH (2016) Texas Occurrence of Lyme Disease and Its Neurological Manifestations. J Neuroinfect Dis 7:217. doi:10.4172/2314-7326.1000217

Copyright: © 2016 Dandashi JA, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Today, Lyme disease is the most commonly reported tick-borne disease in the United States and Europe. The culprits behind Lyme disease are the Borrelia species of bacteria. In the USA, Borrelia burgdorferi causes the majority of cases, while in Europe and Asia Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii carry the greatest burden of disease. The clinical manifestations of Lyme disease have been identified as early localized, early disseminated, and late chronic. The neurological effects of Lyme disease include both peripheral and central nervous systems involvement, including focal nerve abnormalities, cranial neuropathies, painful radiculoneuritis, meningitis, and/or toxic metabolic encephalopathy, known as Lyme encephalopathy. Given the geographic predominance of Lyme disease in the Northeast and Midwest of the USA, no major studies have been conducted regarding Southern states. Between 2005 and 2014, the Center for Disease Control has reported 582 confirmed cases of Lyme disease in Texas. Because of the potential for increased incidence and prevalence in Texas, it has become essential for research and clinical efforts to be diverted to the region. The Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Lyme Lab has been investigating the ecology of Lyme disease in Texas and developing a pan-specific serological test for Lyme diagnosis. This report aimed to exposure materials and raise awareness of Lyme disease to healthcare providers.