Chronic persistent Lyme disease is a late stage of an inflammatory disease caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, which is transmitted by the bite of a deer tick.
Tertiary Lyme disease occurs months to years after the initial infection (see Lyme disease for more information). Symptoms include skin, neurological, and musculoskeletal problems.
An ELISA shows antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi. A Western blot test is done to confirm ELISA results.
A spinal tap will be abnormal if central nervous signs are present.
Review Date: 2/13/2006
Reviewed By: Monica Gandhi, M.D., M.P.H., Assistant Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases, UCSF, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
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Infectious Diseases, Internal Medicine, Rheumatology 
