Lyme disease: a clinical review

Lyme disease is caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi, which is transmitted primarily by Ixodes dammini ticks in the Northeast and Upper Midwest, by Ixodes pacificus in Western states, and by Ixodes ricinus in Europe. Lyme disease can affect the skin, nervous system, heart, eyes, and joints, and is diagnosed in patients with these characteristic clinical features: exposure to an endemic area and usually a positive serologic test for B. burgdorferi six or more weeks after infection. Full recovery is possible with early diagnosis and treatment.