Lyme Disease: An Overview

Lyme disease (LD) is an infection caused by Borrelia Burgdorferi, a type of bacterium called a spirochete that is carried by deer ticks. An infected tick can transmit the spirochete to the humans and animals it bites. If left untreated, the bacterium travels through the bloodstream, establishes itself in various body tissues, and can cause a number of symptoms, some of which are severe. Lyme disease acts as a multi-system inflammatory disease and affects the skin in its early stage, and later, spreads onto the joints, nervous system and in severe cases, it also affects other organs of the body.