Lyme disease is an infection caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi. The bacteria is spread by black-legged, weatern black-legged, or deer ticks.
Ticks acquire the bacteria from mice before passing it to humans by biting. The bacteria enters the human bloodstream and causes the infection. These ticks can be hard to detect; immature ticks are about [...]
Encephalitis is an inflammation of the brain most commonly caused by a virus. Your child may show signs of another viral infection before contracting encephalitis.
Several thousand cases of encephalitis are reported to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) each year. Elderly people, children, and those with compromised immune systems are most at risk.
Because [...]
Cat Scratch Disease is a bacterial infection caused by the bacterium Bartonella henselae. Children and young adults under 21 seem to be most susceptible to this infection, possibly because they are more likely to be bit, scratched, or licked by a cat.
Fleas carry the bacteria from one cat to another, where it lives in the cat’s saliva. [...]