Also called Borreliosis.Encyclopedia Entry for Lyme Disease :Lyme disease - Borrelia burgdorferi or Borrelia mayonii (Spirochetes)Encyclopedia Entry for Lyme Disease :Lyme disease - what to ask your doctor. Where on my body am I most likely to get a tick bite? How large are ticks and tick bites? If I have a tick bite, will I always get Lyme disease? Can I get Lyme disease even if I never noticed a tick bite on my body? What can I do to prevent getting tick bites when I am in a wooded or grassy area? In what areas of the US am I more likely to get a tick bite or Lyme disease? At what time of the year is the risk higher? Should I remove a tick if I find one on my body? What is the proper way to remove a tick? Should I save the tick? If I get Lyme disease from a tick bite, what symptoms will I have? Will I always have symptoms soon after getting Lyme disease (early or primary Lyme disease)? Will these symptoms get better if I am treated with antibiotics? If I do not get symptoms right away, can I get symptoms later? How much later? Are these symptoms the same as the early symptoms? Will these symptoms get better if I am treated with antibiotics? If I am treated for Lyme disease, will I ever have symptoms again? If I do, will these symptoms get better if I am treated with antibiotics? How can my doctor diagnose me with Lyme disease? Can I be diagnosed even if I do not remember having a tick bite? What are the antibiotics used to treat Lyme disease? How long do I need to take them? What are the side effects? Will I have a full recovery from my Lyme disease symptoms?.What to ask your doctor about Lyme disease; Lyme borreliosis - questions; Bannwarth syndrome - questions.Lyme disease Lyme disease Tertiary Lyme disease Tertiary lyme disease.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Lyme disease. www.cdc.gov/lyme. Updated August 19, 2016. Accessed October 27, 2016. Steere AC. Lyme disease (Lyme Borreliosis) due to Borrelia burgdorferi.Encyclopedia Entry for Lyme Disease :Lyme disease blood test. A blood sample is needed. A laboratory specialist looks for Lyme disease antibodies in the blood sample using the ELISA test. If the ELISA test is positive, it must be confirmed with another test called the Western blot test.You do not need special steps to prepare for this test.When the needle is inserted to draw blood, some people feel moderate pain. Others feel only a prick or stinging. Afterward, there may be some throbbing or a slight bruise. This soon goes away.The test is done to help confirm the diagnosis of Lyme disease.A negative test result is normal. This means none or few antibodies to Lyme disease were seen in your blood sample. If the ELISA test is negative, usually no other testing is needed. Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Some labs use different measurements or test different samples. Talk to your health care provider about the meaning of your specific test results.A positive ELISA result is abnormal. This means antibodies were seen in your blood sample. But, this does not confirm a diagnosis of Lyme disease. A positive ELISA result must be followed up with a Western blot test. Only a positive Western blot test can confirm the diagnosis of Lyme disease. For many people, the ELISA test remains positive, even after they have been treated for Lyme disease and no longer have symptoms. A positive ELISA test may also occur with certain diseases not related to Lyme disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis.There is little risk involved with having your blood taken. Veins and arteries vary in size from one person to another and from one side of the body to the other. Taking blood from some people may be more difficult than from others. Other risks associated with having blood drawn are slight but may include: Fainting or feeling lightheaded Multiple punctures to locate veins Hematoma (blood buildup under the skin) Excessive bleeding Infection (a slight risk any time the skin is broken).Lyme disease serology; ELISA for Lyme disease; Western blot for Lyme disease.Lyme disease - what to ask your doctor.Blood test Blood test Lyme disease organism, Borrelia burgdorferi Lyme disease organism, Borrelia burgdorferi Deer ticks Deer ticks Ticks Ticks Lyme disease - Borrelia burgdorferi organism Lyme disease - Borrelia burgdorferi organism Tick imbedded in the skin Tick imbedded in the skin Antibodies Antibodies Tertiary Lyme disease Tertiary lyme disease.Chernecky CC, Berger BJ. Lyme disease antibody - blood.Encyclopedia Entry for Lyme Disease :Lyme disease. Lyme disease is caused by bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi ( B burgdorferi ). Blacklegged ticks (also called deer ticks) can carry these bacteria. Not all species of ticks can carry these bacteria. Immature ticks are called nymphs, and they are about the size of a pinhead. Nymphs pick up bacteria when they feed on small rodents, such as mice, infected with B burgdorferi. You can get the disease if you are bitten by an infected tick. Lyme disease organism, Borrelia burgdorferi Lyme disease was first reported in the United States in 1977 in the town of Old Lyme, Connecticut. The same disease occurs in many parts of Europe and Asia. In the United States, most Lyme disease infections occur in the following areas: Northeastern states, from Virginia to Maine North-central states, mostly in Wisconsin and Minnesota West Coast, mainly in the northwest There are three stages of Lyme disease. Stage 1 is called early localized Lyme disease. The bacteria have not yet spread throughout the body. Stage 2 is called early disseminated Lyme disease. The bacteria have begun to spread throughout the body. Stage 3 is called late disseminated Lyme disease. The bacteria have spread throughout the body. Risk factors for Lyme disease include: Doing outside activities that increase tick exposure (for example, gardening, hunting, or hiking) in an area where Lyme disease occurs Having a pet that may carry infected ticks home Walking in high grasses Lyme disease Important facts about tick bites and Lyme disease: A tick must be attached to your body for 24 to 36 hours in order to spread the bacteria to your blood. Blacklegged ticks can be so small that they are almost impossible to see. Many people with Lyme disease never even see or feel a tick on their body. Most people who are bitten by a tick do not get Lyme disease.Symptoms of early localized Lyme disease (stage 1) begin days or weeks after infection. They are similar to the flu and may include: Fever and chills General ill feeling Headache Joint pain Muscle pain Stiff neck There may be a 'bull's eye' rash, a flat or slightly raised red spot at the site of the tick bite. Often there is a clear area in the center. It can be large and expanding in size. This rash is called erythema migrans. Without treatment, it can last 4 weeks or longer. Lyme disease, erythema migrans Symptoms may come and go. Untreated, the bacteria can spread to the brain, heart, and joints. Symptoms of early disseminated Lyme disease (stage 2) may occur weeks to months after the tick bite, and may include: Numbness or pain in the nerve area Paralysis or weakness in the muscles of the face Heart problems, such as skipped heartbeats (palpitations), chest pain, or shortness of breath Symptoms of late disseminated Lyme disease (stage 3) can occur months or years after the infection. The most common symptoms are muscle and joint pain. Other symptoms may include: Abnormal muscle movement Joint swelling Muscle weakness Numbness and tingling Speech problems Thinking (cognitive) problems.A blood test can be done to check for antibodies to the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. The most commonly used is the ELISA for Lyme disease test. An immunoblot test is done to confirm ELISA results. Be aware, though, in the early stage of infection, blood tests may be normal. Also, if you are treated with antibiotics in the early stage, your body may not make enough antibodies to be detected by blood tests. In areas where Lyme disease is more common, your health care provider may be able to diagnose early disseminated Lyme disease (Stage 2) without doing any lab tests. Other tests that may be done when the infection has spread include: Electrocardiogram Echocardiogram to look at the heart MRI of the brain Spinal tap (lumbar puncture to examine spinal fluid).People bitten by a tick should be watched closely for at least 30 days to see if a rash or symptoms develop. Tick, deer - adult female A single dose of the antibiotic doxycycline may be given to someone soon after being bitten by a tick, when all of these conditions are true: The person has a tick that can carry Lyme disease attached to his or her body. This usually means that a nurse or doctor has looked at and identified the tick. The tick is thought to have been attached to the person for at least 36 hours. The person is able to start taking the antibiotic within 72 hours of removing the tick. The person is 8 years or older and is not pregnant or breastfeeding. Local rate of ticks carrying B burgdorferi is 20% or higher. A 10-day to 4-week course of antibiotics is used to treat people who are diagnosed with Lyme disease, depending on the choice of drug: The choice of antibiotic depends on the stage of the disease and the symptoms. Common choices include doxycycline, amoxicillin, azithromycin, cefuroxime, and ceftriaxone. Pain medicines, such as ibuprofen, are sometimes prescribed for joint stiffness.If diagnosed in the early stages, Lyme disease can be cured with antibiotics. Without treatment, complications involving the joints, heart, and nervous system can occur. But these symptoms are still treatable and curable. In rare cases, a person keeps having symptoms that interfere with daily life after they have been treated with antibiotics. This is also known as post-Lyme disease syndrome. The cause of this syndrome is unknown. Symptoms that occur after antibiotics are stopped may not be signs of active infection and may not respond to antibiotic treatment.Stage 3, or late disseminated, Lyme disease can cause long-term joint inflammation (Lyme arthritis) and heart rhythm problems. Brain and nervous system problems are also possible, and may include: Decreased concentration Memory disorders Nerve damage Numbness Pain Paralysis of the face muscles Sleep disorders Vision problems.Call your provider if you have: A large, red, expanding rash that may look like a bull's eye. Had a tick bite and develop weakness, numbness, tingling, or heart problems. Symptoms of Lyme disease, especially if you may have been exposed to ticks.Take precautions to avoid tick bites. Be extra careful during warmer months. When possible, avoid walking or hiking in the woods and areas with high grass. If you do walk or hike in these areas, take measures to prevent tick bites: Wear light-colored clothing so that if ticks land on you, they can be spotted and removed. Wear long sleeves and long pants with pant legs tucked into your socks. Spray exposed skin and your clothing with insect repellant , such as DEET or permethrin. Follow instructions on the container. After returning home, remove your clothes and thoroughly inspect all skin surface areas, including your scalp. Shower as soon as possible to wash off any unseen ticks. If a tick is attached to you, follow these steps to remove it : Grasp the tick close to its head or mouth with tweezers. DO NOT use your bare fingers. If needed, use a tissue or paper towel. Pull it straight out with a slow and steady motion. Avoid squeezing or crushing the tick. Be careful not to leave the head embedded in the skin. Clean the area thoroughly with soap and water. Also wash your hands thoroughly. Save the tick in a jar. Watch carefully for the next week or two for signs of Lyme disease. If all parts of the tick cannot be removed, get medical help. Bring the tick in the jar to your doctor.Borreliosis; Bannwarth syndrome.Lyme disease - what to ask your doctor.Lyme disease organism, Borrelia burgdorferi Lyme disease organism, Borrelia burgdorferi Tick, deer engorged on the skin Tick, deer engorged on the skin Lyme disease - Borrelia burgdorferi organism Lyme disease - Borrelia burgdorferi organism Tick, deer - adult female Tick, deer - adult female Lyme disease Lyme disease Lyme disease, erythema migrans Lyme disease, erythema migrans Tertiary Lyme disease Tertiary lyme disease.Cameron DJ, Johnson LB, Maloney EL. Evidence assessments and guideline recommendations in Lyme disease: the clinical management of known tick bites, erythema migrans rashes and persistent disease. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther. 2014;12(9):1103-1135. PMID: 25077519 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25077519. Centers for Disease Control website. Lyme disease. www.cdc.gov/lyme/. Updated November 16, 2017. Accessed January 11, 2018. Steere AC. Lyme disease (Lyme borreliosis) due to Borrelia burgdorferi.Encyclopedia Entry for Lyme Disease :Lyme disease (Lyme borreliosis). Source of disease: Borrelia burgdorferi, Borrelia garinii, and Borrelia afzelii