CASE HISTORY Brad,a Nine-Year-Old from Connecticut,developed a Fever and a Large (8

question 59

Essay

CASE HISTORY
Brad,a nine-year-old from Connecticut,developed a fever and a large (8 cm)reddish rash with a clear center (erythema migrans)on his arm.He also had some left facial nerve palsy.Brad had returned a week earlier from a Boy Scout camping trip to the local woods,where he did a lot of hiking.When asked by his physician,Brad admitted finding a tick on his stomach while in the woods but thought little of it.The doctor ordered serological tests for Borrelia burgdorferi (the organism that causes Lyme disease),Rickettsia rickettsii (which produces Rocky Mountain spotted fever),and Anaplasma phagocytophilum (which causes ehrlichiosis).The ELISA for B.burgdorferi came back positive,confirming a diagnosis of Lyme disease.The boy was given a three-week regimen of doxycycline (a tetracycline derivative),which led to resolution of the rash and palsy.
Would treatment or prevention of future infection have differed for either of the two pathogens not involved in this particular infection,Rickettsia rickettsia and Anaplasma phagocytophilum? What is a major difference between these pathogens and B.burgdorferi?

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Definitions:

Written Off Accounts

Accounts receivable that a company deems uncollectible and removes from its books.

Bad Debt Expense

The portion of accounts receivable that is estimated to be uncollectible and is recognized as an expense in the financial statements.

Credit Sales

Transactions where goods are sold and payment is deferred, typically allowing the customer to pay at a later date without interest.

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

A contra-asset account that reduces the total receivables on the balance sheet to reflect the amount expected to be uncollectible.