• Lyme disease or Lyme Borreliosis is the most common tick-borne disease in America and Europe.

• One of the fastest growing infectious diseases in the United States.

• Is named after the town Old Lyme, Connecticut

• Is caused by a bacterial infection that is a spirochete.

• The bacterium is called Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato.

• It is most often acquired from the bite of an infected Ixodes tick.

• Early symptoms: Erythema Migrans (EM) rash or a bulls eye rash, fever, malaise, fatigue, head ache, muscle and joint aches in large joints, sore throat and sinus infection.

• Chronic late symptoms: (not a complete list) 1. fatigue
2. muscle pain (myalgia)
3. joint pain without frank arthritis
4. neuropathy (numbness, tingling, burning, itching, oversensitivity)
5. tremor, muscle twitching
6. Bell’s palsy
7. meningitis
8. visual problems (i.e., double vision)
9. sensitivity to light, motion
10. hyperacusis (severe sensitivity to sound, vibration)
11. seizures
12. severe startle reaction
13. panic attacks
14. depression
15. short-term memory loss
16. sleep disturbance
17. hallucinations
18. cardiac arrhythmias
19. tachycardia (too-rapid heart beat)
20. nausea or vomiting
21. adrenal disorder
22. immune suppression
23. acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans (ACA)

• May be misdiagnosed as many other diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis, CFS, FMS, Rheumatoid Arthritis and other neurological diseases.

• Difficult to diagnose

• Testing is not reliable

• Clinical diagnosis

• Two standards of care: ILADS (International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society and IDSA (Infectious Diseases Society of America)

• Prevention includes avoiding known tick infested areas, mosquito-tick repellant, completely covering with clothing and checking entire body including hair when home.

• Learn proper tick removal, especially not squeezing the tick during removal.