EN
DEDiseases transmitted by ticks, such as Lyme disease, early summer meningoencephalitis (ESME), babesiosis, anaplasmosis, and rickettsioses, are a global problem.
Lyme disease, for example, can lead to serious complications such as Lyme arthritis, neuroborreliosis with meningitis or encephalitis, carditis, as well as chronic fatigue and cognitive impairments.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are approximately 476,000 cases annually in the United States alone. Worldwide, the numbers are likely to be significantly higher.
One might think that, from an evolutionary perspective, humans should have adapted to tick-borne pathogens long ago. Wild animals such as mice, deer, and birds show no symptoms - their immune tolerance reflects millions of years of co-evolution. Interestingly, however, domesticated animals such as dogs and horses develop the disease in a manner similar to humans, which could suggest that removal from natural habitats and exposure patterns impairs the evolutionarily acquired tolerance. (Wikel, S. K. 2018)
Even close relatives such as other primates do not exhibit symptoms similar to those of modern humans when infected - which raises the question of whether our current lifestyle or a lack of natural exposure is impairing our innate immune regulation. (Kurtenbach, K. et al. 2006)
The Resilience of Nature
Humans most likely carry evolutionary defense mechanisms against tick-borne pathogens in their DNA. However, these are epigenetically deactivated by modern, unhealthy lifestyles and conditions that result from an evolutionary mismatch.
The human immune system is overwhelmed by the modern chemicals and substances to which we are exposed. An unnatural and maladaptive diet provides the body with the wrong types of fats, such as omega-6, and the circulatory system is also severely damaged and weakened by a lack of exercise. While our ancestors spent several hours each day running and hunting and lived in harmony with nature, modern humans have lost this connection to nature and, with it, the associated protection. Even a simple vitamin D deficiency - which is primarily the result of modern living conditions and affects over a billion people worldwide - can effectively neutralize the body’s defense mechanism by depriving it of the antimicrobial peptide that can directly combat Borrelia bacteria. (Liu, P. T. et al. 2006)
The problem here is not vitamin D deficiency, but rather the natural effects and synthesis of sunlight. It calibrates the entire organism, including the skin, and acts as a timer for the immune system. Even taking vitamin D supplements alone may not be sufficient, since modern supplementation - due to the unfamiliar substances that are not absorbed naturally - can further irritate the immune system and ultimately disrupt the organism’s natural regulation, in which sunlight is the primary source of synthesis. There is currently no evolutionary adaptation that allows the body to “function” solely on a supplement or to process it completely without invisible side effects. These side effects may not always be visible but can accumulate and lead to health issues later on. (Wacker, M. and Holick, M. F. 2013; Calder, P. C. 2013, Bayani, N. 2026 '10.66670/iqverse.2026.0014')
The Nervous System and Psychosomatic Chain Reactions
It can be assumed that the tick bite triggers an additional cascade of symptoms in the nervous system, which is also psychosomatic in nature because it occurs in a stressful environment.
Many typical symptoms - such as irritability, anxiety, confusion, and nausea - which occur, for example, in Lyme disease, follow a typical pattern of psychosomatic manifestations. In this context, psychosomatic reactions generate real organic processes and pose a serious risk, as they can become dangerous or even life-threatening in the modern world when viewed in the wrong context. While psychosomatic reactions once promoted the survival of the group - for example, by protecting individuals through cognitive impairment and loss of appetite after consuming dangerous foods - these reactions now occur uncontrollably and in the wrong context. (McEwen, B. S. 2008)