Lyme disease is caused by an infection with the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, spread to humans by blacklegged “deer” ticks.
Vermont’s 3 year average incidence rate for Lyme disease is the second highest in the U.S.A.’s and the rate of tickborne diseases in Vermont is increasing.
When Lyme disease is accurately diagnosed and properly treated patients often recover completely. However, some individuals experience long-term, debilitating effects, even after completing standard treatment.
There are other tickborne diseases as well as Lyme disease. According to the Vermont Department of Health, Bartonella, Babesia, Anaplasmosis, Powassan virus, Erlichiosis, and other tickborne pathogens have been found in Vermont. While “Lyme disease” usually refers specifically to an infection with Borrelia burgdorferi, the term is sometimes used to describe a tickborne illness involving multiple pathogens.
Tickborne diseases can affect the skin, heart, nervous system and joints. They can appear in unique ways and mimic other diseases or disorders including heart conditions, Anxiety, Bi-polar disorder, Multiple sclerosis, Fibromyalgia, Chronic fatigue syndrome, Depression, and more.
When tickborne disease symptoms do not resolve after treatment it can sometimes be called “Chronic Lyme.” There is controversy about whether these ongoing symptoms represent a chronic infection, or an ongoing immune response. The CDC refers to this condition as “Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome” (PTLDS) while others refer to it as “Post Treatment Lyme Disease”(PTLD). According to the CDC the cause of PTLDS/PTLD is unknown, and may be an ongoing immune response, an active infection, or a different, unknown cause.