Lyme Disease Infection

What is Lyme Disease? | Transmission of Lyme | Symptoms of Lyme | Where Can You Contract Lyme | Naming evolution

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Lyme disease patients in Australia, including those with a suspected Lyme disease infection or other tick-borne infection, should be aware that the Australian Government’s perspective and guidelines on Lyme differ from those of the Lyme Disease Association of Australia (LDAA), and other governments and authorities across the world. While we touch on the Australian Government’s approach throughout this site, you can read a full explanation about the Lyme disease situation in Australia on the Australian Lyme? page.

What is Lyme disease?

Lyme disease is caused by a spiral-shaped bacterium (spirochete) called Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb). It may also be called Lyme Borreliosis or simply Borreliosis.

Other ‘spirochete’ diseases include Syphilis and Leptospirosis.

Lyme bacteria are very efficient, may be difficult to detect, and the symptoms can mimic many other diseases.

See also – Why Lyme bacteria are like stealth bomber and this 50 second video talking about Lyme disease.

Transmission of Lyme

Humans usually contract Lyme disease via the bite of an infected Ixodes tick, and the tick contracts the infection from another host species (usually wildlife).

Studies suggest that the spread of Borrelia can be via other methods. These include:

• other vectors (e.g. insects – mosquitoes, midges and others)
• human body fluids
• transfer through the placenta and breast milk.

Currently, the Australian Government does not recognise these other transmission methods of Lyme disease.

Not Just Lyme
Lyme disease patients almost always contract tick-borne co-infections. Due to the effects on the immune system, they may experience relapse of latent viruses (e.g. Epstein Barr virus) as well as parasites and fungi. Common co-infections spread by ticks are Rickettsia, Bartonella and Babesia.

The 3 different forms of Borrelia make it harder to treat and harder for the immune system to mount defences against it.

Borrelia is a ‘biofilm’ bacterium; it secretes substances that offer protection from the immune system.

Symptoms of Lyme

Common symptoms of early Lyme disease (and some co-infections) include:

• Erythema Migrans rash (EM) or other kind of rash (NB. Sometimes there is no rash)
• Fatigue, malaise
• Flu-like symptoms, including fever, headache, joint pain, muscle aches
• Stiff neck
• Dysesthesia (painful burning, pricking, or aching feeling)
• Lymphadenopathy (lymph nodes unusual in size or different from one another)
• Facial nerve problems leading to weakness of facial muscles or facial muscles that won’t move. (This is often mistaken for Bell’s palsy).

Either a solid rash that spreads and looks like an infection, cellulitis or spider bite, or a bullseye rash is present in approximately 50 percent of those with Lyme disease. Sometimes there is no rash at all.

LEFT: The bullseye rash, Erythema Migrans (EM) is a “classic” sign of Lyme but only occurs in 20-25 percent of patients.
(Image courtesy Dr Richard Horowitz)

Common symptoms of late stage or chronic Lyme include:

• Fatigue
• Multiple red rashes
• Severe headaches and neck stiffness
• Joint swelling and/or pain
• Neuropathic symptoms – nerve pain, numbness, hot/cold sensations, tingling
• Cognitive difficulties
• Memory problems
• Unprovoked pain which may interfere with sleep
• Palpitations or chest pain, difficulty breathing
• Light-headedness, fainting
• Gastrointestinal symptoms
• Psychiatric symptoms- including depression, anxiety, and mood changes.

The overall ‘symptom complex’ may include: immune dysfunction; inflammation; environmental toxicity; allergies; nutritional and enzyme deficiencies, with functional medicine abnormalities in biochemical pathways; mitochondrial dysfunction; neuropsychological issues, autonomic nervous system dysfunction, endocrine abnormalities, sleep disorders; gastrointestinal abnormalities, with abnormal liver functions; and issues with pain, drug use and physical deconditioning.

Dr Richard Horowitz

Symptoms (by Dr. Richard Horowitz):

Fatique, tiredness, unexplained fevers, sweats, chills or flushing, unexplained weight change, either loss or gain, unexplained hair loss, swollen glands, sore throat, testicular pain (men), pelvic pain (women), unexplained menstrual irregularity, unexplained milk production, breast pain, irritable bladder or bladder dysfunction, sexual dysfunction or loss of libido, upset stomach, change in bowel function (constipation or diarrhea), chest pain or rib soreness, shortness of breath, cough, heart palpitations, pulse skips, heart block, any history of a heart murmur or valve prolapse, joint pain or swelling, stiffness of joints, neck or back, muscle pain or cramps, twitching of the face or other muscles, headaches, neck cracks, neck stiffness, tingling numbness, burning or stabbing sensations, facial paralysis (Bell´s palsy), double, blurry or floaters of the eyes/vision, buzzing, ringing of the ears/hearing, ear pain, increased motion sickness, vertigo, light-headedness, wooziness, poor balance, difficulty walking, tremor, confusion, difficulty thinking, difficulty with concentration or reading, forgetfulness, poor short-term memory, disorientation: getting lost, going to wrong places, difficulty with speech or writing, mood swings, irritability, depression, disturbed sleep: too much or too little sleep or early awakening, disturbed sleep: too much or too little sleep or early awakening (continued), exaggerated symptoms or worse hangover from alcohol.

Where can you contract Lyme?

According to the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Lyme disease is currently endemic in North America, parts of Europe and Northern Asia. However, there have been reports of infections of Lyme disease in many other countries, including Australia.

For detailed information on Lyme disease locations read:
Where in the world is Lyme disease? [PDF 810KB]

Naming evolution

In 1977, an unusual wave of illness occurred in the American town of Lyme, Connecticut. People, thinking it to be a form of juvenile arthritis, gave it the name “Lyme arthritis”.

Investigation revealed the illness to be more complicated. It had “a combination of cardiac, neurologic and rheumatologic presentations, including heart block, meningitis and Bell’s palsy.” The more general name of Lyme disease replaced Lyme arthritis because of this. The cause of the illness was then unknown.

In 1982, researchers identified Borrelia as the cause of Lyme disease. They later named the condition Lyme borreliosis.

The Australian Government previously referred to Lyme as “Lyme-like illness”. Since 2018 the Department of Health coined the term “Debilitating Symptom Complexes Attributed To Ticks (DSCATT)”. This describes diseases carried by ticks but not Lyme caught overseas or recognised Australian diseases spread by ticks.

DSCATT and its associated Clinical Pathway leave patients without diagnosis or adequate treatment (See also Australian Lyme).

Because people catch the disease in different locations, The Lyme Disease Association of Australia (LDAA) uses the terms Australian Lyme or Lyme and associated diseases for the Lyme and co-infection complex.

The video below serves as a view of where Australian science is up to regarding diseases carried by ticks in Australia:

See also: Lyme Co-infections

Lyme-Ed for Patients may also interest you.

Copyright Lyme Disease Association of Australia