Lyme disease has been a nationally notifiable condition in the United States since 1991. Reports of Lyme disease are collected and verified by state and local health departments in accordance with their legal mandate and surveillance practices. After removal of personal identifiers, selected information on cases is shared with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
There is no way of knowing exactly how many people get Lyme disease. A recently released estimate based on insurance records suggests that each year approximately 476,000 Americans are diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease. This number is likely an over-estimate of actual infections because patients are sometimes treated presumptively in medical practice. The CDC also states that approximately 30,000 cases of Lyme disease are reported each year by state health departments and the District of Columbia. Regardless, the number of Lyme disease cases indicates a large burden on the health care system and the need for more effective prevention measures.
Untreated Lyme disease can produce a wide range of symptoms, depending on the stage of infection. These include fever, rash, facial paralysis, and arthritis.
Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (Long-Term/Chronic Lyme Disease)
Although most cases of Lyme disease can be cured with a 2- to 4-week course of oral antibiotics, patients can sometimes have symptoms of pain, fatigue, or difficulty thinking that lasts for more than 6 months after they finish treatment. This condition is called Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS).
Why some patients experience PTLDS is not known. Some experts believe that Borrelia burgdorferi can trigger an “auto-immune” response causing symptoms that last well after the infection itself is gone. Auto–immune responses are known to occur following other infections, including campylobacter (Guillain-Barré syndrome), chlamydia (reactive arthritis), and strep throat (rheumatic heart disease). Other experts hypothesize that PTLDS results from a persistent but difficult to detect infection. Finally, some believe that the symptoms of PTLDS are due to other causes unrelated to the patient’s Borrelia burgdorferi infection.
Unfortunately, there is no proven treatment for PTLDS. Although short-term antibiotic treatment is a proven treatment for early Lyme disease, studies funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have found that long-term outcomes are no better for patients who received additional prolonged antibiotic treatment than for patients who received placebo. Long-term antibiotic treatment for Lyme disease has been associated with serious, sometimes deadly complications. Patients with PTLDS usually get better over time, but it can take many months to feel completely well.
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If you or a loved one suffered harm as a result of the misdiagnosis of Lyme disease in the United States, you should promptly find a Lyme disease lawyer in your state who may investigate your Lyme disease claim for you and represent you or your loved one in a Lyme disease malpractice case, if appropriate.
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