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Lyme Disease Information
If a person is bitten by a tick infected with the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, this can lead to Lyme disease. If you find a tick on you, testing it for the bacterium is possible, but not always useful. Your healthcare provider can help decide if you should start antibiotics and if the tick should be tested.
The most common symptom of Lyme disease is a rash; fever, headache, and fatigue are also possible. If you found a tick on you but have no symptoms, laboratory testing is not usually recommended.
(Click Lyme Disease for more information on how this condition is diagnosed, what happens if it is left untreated, and steps you can take to prevent an infection.)
Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD