Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that features a skin rash, swollen joints and flu-like symptoms. You get the disease from the bite of an infected tick. Sometimes it is hard to know if you have Lyme disease because you may not have noticed a tick bite. Also, many of its symptoms are like those of other diseases. Symptoms may include
- A skin rash, often resembling a bulls-eye
- Fever
- Headache
- Muscle pain
- Stiff neck
- Swelling of knees and other large joints
In the early stages, doctors look at your symptoms and medical history to figure out whether you have Lyme disease. In the later stages of the disease, lab tests can confirm whether you have it.
Antibiotics usually cure early stage Lyme disease. If not treated, the disease can cause problems with the joints, heart and nervous system.
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Lyme Disease(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/common/infections/common/bacterial/257.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/common/infections/common/bacterial/257.printerview.html
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Lyme Disease
(Patient Education Institute) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/lymedisease/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/lymediseasespanish/htm/index.htm -
Lyme Disease
(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) - http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/lymeDisease/understanding/intro.htm
- Beware of Ticks … & Lyme Disease(Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/lymedisease062707.html
- Lyme Disease(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/lyme/
- Lyme Disease(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/lyme-disease/DS00116/METHOD=print&DSECTION=all
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Lyme Disease - The Facts, the Challenge(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) - Large PDF file - http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/lymeDisease/PDF/LymeDisease.pdf
- As Earth Warms, Lyme Disease Could Flourish(04/23/2009, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_83293.html
- It's Spring-Time to Prevent Lyme Disease(04/20/2009, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/Features/LymeDisease/
- Key to Lyme Disease Virulence Discovered(02/11/2009, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_80234.html
- Lyme Disease Test(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/lyme/test.html
- Lyme Disease: A Patient's Guide, Diagnosis(American College of Physicians) - http://www.acponline.org/clinical_information/resources/lyme_disease/patient/diagnosis.htm
- Lyme Disease: A Patient's Guide, Treatment(American College of Physicians) - http://www.acponline.org/clinical_information/resources/lyme_disease/patient/treatment.htm
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Insect Repellent DEET(Environmental Protection Agency) - http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsheets/chemicals/deet.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsheets/chemicals/sp-deet.html
- Lyme Disease: A Patient's Guide, Prevention(American College of Physicians) - http://www.acponline.org/clinical_information/resources/lyme_disease/patient/prevention.htm
- Measures to Prevent Bites from Mosquitoes, Ticks, Fleas and Other Insects and Arthropods(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/contentMosquitoTick.aspx
- Permethrin-Impregnated Clothing: For Service Members and Their Families(Dept. of Defense, Deployment Health Clinical Center) - Links to PDF - http://deploymenthealthlibrary.fhp.osd.mil/products/Permethrin%20-%20Impregnated%20Clothing%20(242).pdf
- Stop Ticks(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/Features/StopTicks/
- Lyme Disease and Animals(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/diseases/lyme.htm
- Lyme Disease: Health Information for International Travel(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/yellowBookCh4-LymeDisease.aspx
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Neurological Complications of Lyme Disease(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/lyme/lyme.htm
- Tick Removal: A Step-by-Step Guide(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/body/tick_removal.html
- Lyme Disease(Logical Images) - http://www.visualdxhealth.com/adult/lymeDisease.htm
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Lyme Disease(Patient Education Institute) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/lymedisease/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/lymediseasespanish/htm/index.htm
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Lyme Disease(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Lyme+Disease%22
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Lyme Disease(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) - http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/lymeDisease/
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Bilateral facial palsy in neuroborreliosis. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19364942&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Acute pediatric monoarticular arthritis: distinguishing lyme arthritis from other etiologies. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19255026&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Biodiversity loss and the rise of zoonotic pathogens. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19220353&tool=MedlinePlus
- Lyme Disease -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=(lyme+disease[majr]+OR+lyme+disease+vaccines[majr]+OR+borrelia+burgdorferi[majr])+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+(jsubsetk[text]+OR+review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Lyme Disease: A Patient's Guide, Glossary(American College of Physicians) - http://www.acponline.org/clinical_information/resources/lyme_disease/patient/glossary.htm
- American Lyme Disease Foundation - http://www.aldf.com/
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - http://www.cdc.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://www.cdc.gov/spanish/
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National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/
- Lyme Disease Statistics(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/lyme/ld_statistics.htm
- Lyme Disease(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/bacterial_viral/lyme.html
- Lyme Disease(Logical Images) - http://www.visualdxhealth.com/child/lymeDisease.htm
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Lyme Disease(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/infections/skin_rashes/lyme_disease.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/teen/en_espanol/infecciones/lyme_disease_esp.html
- Lyme Disease(Logical Images) - http://www.visualdxhealth.com/teen/lymeDisease.htm
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What's My Lyme Disease Risk?(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/diseases_conditions/brain_nervous/lyme_risk_teen.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/teen/en_espanol/enfermedades/lyme_risk_teen_esp.html
- Insect Bites and Stings - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/insectbitesandstings.html
- Tick Bites - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tickbites.html
- Infections - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/infections.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Lyme Disease is the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - http://www.niaid.nih.gov/