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Lyme Disease

Brett Lehner, MD Reviewed 04/2024
 


BASICS

Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. 

DESCRIPTION

  • An infection caused by Borrelia spirochetes, transmitted primarily by ixodid ticks

  • Ixodes scapularis (deer ticks) in the ...

DIAGNOSIS

  • Test with a sensitive enzyme immunoassay (EIA) or immunofluorescence assay, which quantifies antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi, and then follow this test with a western immunoblot assa...

TREATMENT

Prophylactic antibiotic therapy should be given only to adults and children within 72 hours of removal of an identified high-risk tick bite—not for bites that are equivocal risk or low risk ...

ONGOING CARE

FOLLOW-UP RECOMMENDATIONS

Do not retest patient to determine whether antibody titers have declined after treatment because seroreactivity often persists for months after treatment of early...

REFERENCES

Lantos P, Rumbaugh J, Bockenstedt LK, et al. Clinical Practice Guidelines by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), American Academy of Neurology (AAN), and American College of ...

SEE ALSO

CODES

ICD10

  • A69.20 Lyme disease, unspecified

  • A69.2 Lyme disease

SNOMED

  • 230150008 Meningitis in Lyme disease

  • 23502006 Lyme disease

  • 33937009 Lyme arthritis

  • 77863005 Lyme carditis

  • 426637005 Acute lyme disease

  • 240...

CLINICAL PEARLS

Steps to prevent Lyme disease include using insect repellent, removing ticks promptly, applying pesticides, and reducing tick habitat. There is no test that can “prove cure.” Antibodie...

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