1. Long Term Lyme 3 stages of Lyme Disease

2. Stage 1: Early Localized (previous slides) Stage 2: Early Disseminated – Weeks to Months – Affects skin, joints, nervous system, heart Stage 3: Late Persistent – Months to Years – Damage to joints, nerves, brain

3. Stage 3 Also Known as: – Post-Lyme Disease Syndrome – Chronic Lyme Disease Occurs 6 months after treatment

4. Possible Cause If antibiotics are not received quickly, then the body may build up antibodies to B. b. These antibodies may later attack healthy tissues. Multiple studies hint at the autoimmune process behind Lyme Disease but nothing is known.