Lyme Disease Information for Health Professionals

On this page:
Required Disease Reporting
Clinical Features
Guidelines
Presentations
More from other web sites

The pathognomonic erythema migrans (EM) rash is present in the majority (but not all) cases of Lyme disease. It is not always “bulls-eye” in appearance but does expand in size over time. If a patient has an EM highly suggestive of Lyme disease and recent symptom onset (<2-3 weeks), B. burgdorferi antibody tests are not recommended because of low sensitivity at this stage of infection. Seroconversion to IgG antibodies on Western blot is expected for patients with symptoms lasting > 1 month. For patients who have had signs and symptoms for >1 month or who do not have an EM rash, diagnosis should be based on laboratory tests in addition to symptomatology. Long-term or repeated antibiotics for the treatment of “chronic” Lyme disease is not necessary, safe, or recommended. Evidence does not demonstrate persistence of viable B. burgdorferi after treatment with the correct antibiotic for the indicated treatment duration (2-4 weeks). Persistent symptoms following proper treatment may be due to lingering inflammatory processes, an unrecognized tick-borne coinfection, or an unrelated process.

Required Disease Reporting

• Reporting Lyme Disease
  Minnesota Rules Governing Communicable Diseases require health care providers to report cases of Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi) to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) within 1 working day.

  MDH staff also are available to provide clinical consultation regarding diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases. Call 651-201-5414 for a clinical consultation.
  

Clinical Features

• Signs and Symptoms
  The signs and symptoms of Lyme disease vary among individuals.  A person may not have all of these symptoms.
  
  
• Rashes Caused by Lyme Disease
  • CDC: Lyme Disease Rashes and Look-alikes

Guidelines

• CDC: Tickborne Diseases of the United States: A Reference Manual for Health Care Providers
  CDC Handbook, designed as a way for health care providers to access information on tickborne diseases and tick identification. 
  
  
• The Clinical Assessment, Treatment, and Prevention of Lyme Disease, Human Granulocytic Anaplasmosis, and Babesiosis
  Clinical Practice Guidelines by the Infectious Diseases Society of America.
  • IDSA: Special Review Panel Unanimously Upholds Lyme Disease Treatment Guidelines: Short-term Antibiotics Proven to be Best Treatment for Patients
    4/2010 Update: Special review panel unanimously upholds Lyme disease treatment guidelines. Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA).

Presentations

• CDC: Lyme Disease: Challenges and Innovations
  CDC Public Health Grand Rounds, May 2011.
• UMN: What you need to know about vectorborne diseases in Minnesota
  Minnesota Department of Health, May 2015.

More from other web sites:

• CDC Lyme Disease
  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention general information about Lyme disease.

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Spotlight

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Tick Monitoring
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Contact us:

If you have questions or comments about this page, use our IDEPC Comment Form or call 651-201-5414 for the MDH Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Prevention and Control Division.