Get a prompt Lyme disease diagnosis to prevent complications
Borrelia burgdorferi is the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. B. burgdorferi is transmitted by black-legged ticks that are commonly found on vegetation and animals such deer, dogs, mice, horses, and birds in endemic areas.
When a person is bitten by a tick carrying B. burgdorferi, the bacteria can enter the body through the skin, often causing a characteristic rash, fever, headache, and fatigue. Untreated Lyme disease can spread throughout the body, affecting the joints, heart, and nervous system. Generally, Lyme disease is effectively treated with a few weeks of antibiotics.
Why consider this test?
Testing for Lyme disease is recommended in people showing symptoms of infection or are at risk of infection.
- Early symptoms can include a characteristic rash called an erythema migrans rash, fever, chills, headache, fatigue, and muscle and joint aches.
- Risk factors for Lyme disease include having recently removed a tick from your body or walked in a wooded area where ticks live without covering exposed skin or wearing repellant (particularly in the northeast or midwestern areas of the United States where most Lyme disease cases occur).