Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme Disease, is a gram- negative spirochete discovered by Willy Burgdorfer. Bacterial and parasitic co-infections associated with Lyme Disease include Bartonella, Babesia, and Ehrlichia.

Borrelia burgdorferi is most commonly contracted from a tick bite, but the bacteria is also transmitted by fleas, mosquitos, exchanging blood, needles, and from mother to child.

General symptoms include: Severe fatigue Neurological dysfunction Arthritis Erythema migrans Erythema migrans is a bull's-eye rash that can form within one month of being bitten by an infected tick. It is diagnostic of Lyme Disease however only occurs in 25-50% of those infected. Pediatrics/site/AshburnLoudounFamilyDoctorHealthInfoLymeDiseaseLeesbur gFamily%20Practice.html

Fatigue Low grade fevers, ‘hot flashes’ or chills Night sweats Sore throat Swollen glands Stiff neck Arthritis Myalgia Chest pain and palpitations Abdominal pain, nausea Diarrhea Sleep disturbance Poor concentration and memory loss Photosensitivity Hyperacusis Irritability and mood swings Depression Back pain Blurred vision and eye pain Jaw pain Testicular/pelvic pain Tinnitus Vertigo Cranial nerve disturbance Headaches ‘Lightheadedness’ Dizziness Numbness and tingling Paralysis Urinary dysfunction The quality of life of Lyme disease patients is equivalent to that of patients with congestive heart failure.

As early as days after infection Borrelia can be found in the blood, cerebral spinal fluid, heart tissue, muscle tissue, retina, bone, brain cells, and the liver. Lyme Disease is often misdiagnosed as: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer's, Arthritis, Parkinson’s, Fibromyalgia, Lupus, and more.

Borrelia exists in three forms: extracellular, intracellular, and cystic. Different antibiotics administered concurrently are needed to fight all forms. Late-stage Lyme Disease usually requires a year or more of antibiotic treatment.

The life cycle of Borrelia is 4 weeks. During this time there is a huge spike in bacteria dying off and releasing their toxins. This build-up of toxins can cause a severe spike in symptoms. Lyme Disease leaves patients immunocompromised and commonly infected with opportunistic infections such as: Epstein-Barr virus (mononucleosis), Cytomegalovirus, Human herpesvirus 6, Candida albicans, Clostridium difficile, and Toxoplasma gondii.

What is it like to live with Lyme disease… Lyme disease: o has the highest rate of misdiagnosis globally. o is the fastest growing vector-borne disease. o testing in Canada is unreliable, and doctors are not properly educated in diagnosis and treatment. o in late-stage is not recognized by the Canadian health care system. o treatment costs are not covered.