Lyme disease was first identified in 1975 after a number of cases occurred in a town called Old Lyme, in Connecticut, USA. However, it is not a new disease and it has been known in Europe under different names since... » Read on

Some infected people have no symptoms at all. However, the first sign is usually a pink or red spot at the site of the tick bite. This appears between 3 and 30 days after biting, and expands steadily, often with an... » Read on

Lyme disease is caused by spiral-shaped bacteria known as 'Borrelia burgdorferi'. They are spread from one animal to another by tick bites and can be transmitted to people when a tick feeds on an infected animal, then... » Read on

A doctor will usually make the diagnosis based on your symptoms, such as the erythema migrans rash. You might be asked if you have visited an area where catching the disease is possible. Lyme disease can... » Read on

Oral (taken by mouth) antibiotics are usually recommended for the treatment of early Lyme disease. Intravenous (given by a fine tube directly into a vein) antibiotics are sometimes necessary in... » Read on