Lyme Disease

Lyme disease, or borreliosis, is an emerging infectious disease caused by at least three species of bacteria belonging to the genus Borrelia.^[1] Borrelia burgdorferi is the predominant cause of Lyme disease in the United States. cases.

Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in the Northern Hemisphere. Borrelia is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected ticks belonging to certain species of the genus Ixodes (the hard-bodied 'hard ticks').^[2] Early manifestations of infection may include fever, headache, fatigue, depression, and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans. Left untreated, late manifestations involving the joints, heart, and nervous system can occur. In most cases, the infection and its symptoms are eliminated with antibiotics, especially if diagnosis and treatment occur early in the course of illness. Late, delayed, or inadequate treatment can lead to late manifestations of Lyme disease which can be disabling and difficult to treat.^[3]

References:

^{1Ryan KJ; Ray CG; and JC Sherris (eds.).  Sherris Medical Microbiology: an introduction to infectious diseases.  New York: McGraw Hill, 2004.}

²Baron S. Borrelia.  In Medical Microbiology. 4th ed,  Galveston: University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, 1996.

³Cairns V; Godwin J.  Post-Lyme borreliosis syndrome: a meta-analysis of reported symptoms.  International Journal of Epidemiology 2005 Dec; 34(6):1340-1345.

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• Infectious Diseases
• Insect Bites and Stings