Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Detecting the Lyme Disease Spirochete, Borrelia Burgdorferi, in Ticks Using Nested PCR
07:20

Detecting the Lyme Disease Spirochete, Borrelia Burgdorferi, in Ticks Using Nested PCR

Published on: February 4, 2018

Lyme disease

Thomas S Murray1, Eugene D Shapiro

  • 1Department of Pediatric, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8064, USA.

Clinics in Laboratory Medicine
|June 2, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Lyme disease, a common tick-borne illness, presents differently in early and late stages. Prompt diagnosis and appropriate antibiotic treatment are crucial for recovery, while judicious use of serologic testing prevents misdiagnosis.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Microbiology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Lyme disease is the most prevalent vector-borne illness in the U.S.
  • Caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi.
  • Clinical manifestations vary by disease stage: early (erythema migrans), early disseminated (multiple EM, meningitis, palsies, carditis), and late (arthritis).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe the clinical presentation and treatment of Lyme disease.
  • To emphasize the importance of judicious serologic testing.

Main Methods:

  • Review of clinical presentations based on disease stage.
  • Discussion of antimicrobial treatment efficacy.
  • Analysis of serologic testing utility and limitations.

Main Results:

  • Most patients recover with 2-4 weeks of appropriate antimicrobial treatment.
  • Serologic testing can lead to misdiagnosis in low-probability cases or those with nonspecific symptoms without objective signs.

Conclusions:

  • Lyme disease requires timely diagnosis and treatment.
  • Careful consideration of clinical context is essential when interpreting serologic tests to avoid misdiagnosis.

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