What is the Difference Between Lyme Disease and Anaplasmosis?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚Lyme disease and anaplasmosis are both tick-borne diseases caused by different bacteria transmitted by the bite of an infected tick. These diseases share some similarities but also have distinct differences.
Lyme Disease:
- Caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi.
- Transmitted by the bite of an infected deer tick.
- Characterized by a bull's-eye rash, fever, chills, severe headache, and fatigue.
- Can lead to neurological, cardiac, and joint complications if left untreated.
Anaplasmosis:
- Caused by the bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum.
- Transmitted by the bite of an infected blacklegged tick, the same tick that transmits Lyme disease.
- Formerly known as Human Granulocytic Ehrlichiosis (HGE).
- Characterized by fever, chills, severe headache, malaise, myalgia, gastrointestinal symptoms, and rash (in less than 10% of cases).
- Less severe and life-threatening than Lyme disease, but can still be a serious and sometimes fatal disease.
- More frequent in the Upper Midwest and northeastern United States.
Co-infection with both A. phagocytophilum and B. burgdorferi is possible due to the common vector (tick) involved in transmitting these diseases. Illness may be marked by a more severe course or incomplete response to treatment in cases of co-infection. Prevention of both diseases involves taking measures to avoid tick bites, such as using insect repellant, wearing protective clothing, and checking for ticks after spending time outdoors.
Comparative Table: Lyme Disease vs Anaplasmosis
Lyme disease and anaplasmosis are both tick-borne diseases, but they are caused by different bacteria and have distinct symptoms and characteristics. Here is a table comparing the differences between the two:
Feature | Lyme Disease | Anaplasmosis |
---|---|---|
Causative Bacteria | Borrelia burgdorferi | Anaplasma phagocytophilum |
Transmitting Tick | Black-legged tick (Ixodes scapularis) | Black-legged tick (Ixodes scapularis) |
Prevalence | More common, with 28,453 reported cases in 2015 | Less common, with 3,656 reported cases in 2015 |
Symptoms | Bull's-eye rash, fever, chills, fatigue, headache, muscle and joint aches, and swollen lymph nodes | Fever, chills, fatigue, headache, muscle and joint aches, and swollen lymph nodes |
Fatality Rate | Rarely fatal | Fatal in about 1% of cases, with people over 60 and those who don't receive treatment quickly being at higher risk |
Treatment | Antibiotics, such as doxycycline, amoxicillin, or cefuroxime | Antibiotics, same as for Lyme disease |
Both diseases can be diagnosed through physical examination and blood tests, and they are mainly treated through prescribed antibiotics. Co-infection with Lyme disease and anaplasmosis happens from 2 to 12% of the time.
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