Statement of the Problem:
Increasing global temperatures will result in an increase of Lyme Disease and other bug born illnesses. Lyme disease is transmitted to humans through ticks which are affected by weather and climate. With increasing global temperatures and changing atmospheric humidity, it is predicted that ticks will see an acceleration of the development cycle and increased population density. This will result in an increased population density of ticks and an eventual shift in risk areas. (Suss et Al, 2008) Data from the Centers for Disease control confirm this hypothesis. As can be seen in the figures below, the occurrence of Lyme Disease in the Northeastern United States have become more dense and spread further north over the past 10 years.
Lyme disease results in fever, headache, fatigue, and a skin rash. If left untreated, the symptoms can spread to joints, the heart, and nervous symptoms. If Lyme disease is caught early, it is easily treated with antibiotics. However, as it spreads into new areas, the diagnosis of lyme can be missed. This can result in Chronic Lyme Disease which results in long term symptoms.
Essential Question and Rationale:
This PBL will answer the question "How can humans prevent the spread of Lyme Disease while children play outside?" This problem is important to solve because Lyme disease can have debilitating effects on both patients and their families. Those patients who have Chronic Lyme Disease must undergo long term antibiotic treatment which increases their susceptibility to many other diseases.