What is Lyme Disease (LD)?
Lyme Disease (LD) is a bacterial infection caused by a spirochete (a spiral- or corkscrew-shaped microbe) named Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb). There are about 100 US and 300 worldwide strains of the bacterium. Spirochetes (pronounced SPY-roh-keets) are maintained by animals in nature, where certain ticks bite infected animals, ingest the bacteria, and then transmit the infection through subsequent feedings. Humans and pets are incidental hosts to infected ticks. Ticks can be found anywhere–woods, seashore, even in your own backyard. They can bite year-round, although peak tick season in the northeastern United States is April to September; and on the West coast is November to April. Lyme disease is a potentially serious and debilitating illness, affecting not just the joints, but all parts of the body. The disease produces many symptoms (See 2.03, 2.14, and 2.17), several of which can imitate other diseases (See 2.06). No two cases of Lyme disease are exactly alike. This is due to unique
