Lyme Disease

What is Lyme Disease?

Lyme disease is an infection caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi.  The illness causes a wide range of symptoms, including a skin rash, fever, chills, meningitis, headache, muscle and joint pain, heart irregularities, facial paralysis, neurological disorders, and pregnancy complications.  The Lyme disease bacteria is transmitted by the deer tick and the Western black-legged tick though some reports indicate that the infection may be passed from mother to fetus during pregnancy.  It is rarely, if ever, fatal.