What is Lyme Disease?
Lyme disease is an infectious disease. It is caused by a bacterium called the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. The deer tick or western black-legged tick bites and transmits the bacteria to humans. These ticks are the size of sesame seeds. Lyme disease occurs mainly in rural and suburban areas. Lyme disease is found in America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Symptoms of Lyme disease include: Fever Headache Fatigue Chills Neck stiffness Muscle pain Joint pain Erythema Migraine A rash that appears every week after a tick bite. These rashes usually start at the site of a tick bite. It became a small red dot, but it got bigger. The center is dull and looks like a "bull's eye" or ring. Some people have very red spots. The rash often burns and itches. But some people don't feel it. The infection then spreads to the joints, heart and nervous system. The affected heart beats irregularly or slowly. Bell's palsy (a type of facial paralysis) damages the nervous system. If left