Lyme DiseaseSymptoms, Doctors, Treatments, Advances & More
Learn About Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is an infectious disease caused by Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria. The bacteria are transferred to humans by tick bite, specifically by blacklegged ticks (commonly known as deer ticks). The condition is named for the location in which it was first described, the town of Lyme, Connecticut.
Lyme disease is caused by infection with bacteria rather than by genetic changes. The risk of developing Lyme disease is influenced by a variety of lifestyle and environmental factors that reflect how likely a person is to get bitten by an infected tick, such as where a person lives, how much time is spent outdoors, and the time of year. While there is no evidence that genetic factors play a role in susceptibility to Lyme disease, such factors may affect the severity of the disease, particularly whether antibiotic-refractory Lyme arthritis develops.
Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne illness in the United States. An estimated 300,000 new cases occur every year. Lyme disease occurs in areas in which blacklegged ticks are found, primarily the northeastern states (from Virginia to Maine), the upper Midwest (Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan), and parts of California and Oregon. In these regions of the United States, the incidence of Lyme disease is 10 to 100 cases per 100,000 people each year.
Lyme disease cannot be inherited. The risk of certain complications of the condition may be influenced by inherited genetic factors, but the inheritance pattern is unknown.
Johns Hopkins Health Care & Surgery Center - Green Spring Station, Lutherville
Dr. John Aucott is an associate professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. An internist and Lyme disease expert in the Division of Rheumatology, he is the director of the Johns Hopkins Lyme Disease Clinical Research Center. With more than 15 years of research experience on the crippling effects of Lyme disease, he has published studies focusing on characteristics of early Lyme disease differences in males and females with an emphasis on prospects for prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Dr. Aucott received his medical degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He completed his residency in internal medicine at the University Hospitals of Cleveland. He is fellowship-trained in infectious disease and geographic medicine. Dr. Aucott and his colleagues were recognized by Johns Hopkins with a Discovery Fund Synergy Award in 2014. Dr. Aucott is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Lyme Disease. His top areas of expertise are Lyme Disease, Synovitis, Reactive Arthritis, and Long Haul COVID.
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Erol Fikrig is an Internal Medicine provider in New Haven, Connecticut. Dr. Fikrig is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Lyme Disease. His top areas of expertise are Lyme Disease and Arthritis. Dr. Fikrig is currently accepting new patients.
Division Of Emergency Medicine
Lise Nigrovic is a Pediatrics provider in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Nigrovic is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Lyme Disease. Her top areas of expertise are Lyme Disease, Pediatric Myocarditis, Osteomyelitis in Children, and Asthma in Children.
Summary: Lyme disease is a public health crisis in the US. It is estimated that over 400,000 cases occur every year with 10-20% of those infected going on to develop Post-Treatment Lyme disease Syndrome (PTLDS). The goal of this study is to investigate if giving Ceftriaxone every 5 days for about 6 weeks kills the organism that produces persistent Lyme infection. Enrolled participants will be randomized 1:...
Summary: The unhide® Project is a non-interventional, longitudinal research study designed to establish a secure data repository of demographic, health, and lifestyle information from individuals with brain inflammation and related neuroinflammatory conditions. Participants in the United States aged 2 years and older will provide self-reported health data, biometrics, and symptom diaries through the MyData...
Published Date: June 01, 2018
Published By: National Institutes of Health