[The clinical manifestations and diagnosis of Lyme borreliosis]

Lyme borreliosis (LB), an infectious disease occurring in the western and eastern hemispheres, is described. The disease that had been observed retrospectively for several decades was verified in the 1980 s. The causative agent of the disease is a new species of Borrelia transmitted with ticks. LB is characterized by staged development and impairment of some systems of the body. Erythema annulare occurring after the sucking of the ticks is a typical skin manifestation of LB. In the USSR, 90 patients with tick-borne erythema underwent examinations. 64 percent of the patients demonstrated nervous system injuries (serous meningitides, neuritis of craniocerebral nerves, and lesions of the peripheral nervous system). Serologic tests performed in part of the patients with LB in the USSR and USA identified similar responses to the causative agent of the disease.