Lyme disease

Lyme disease, infection caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and transmitted by ticks. It is accompanied by fever and a red, ring-shaped skin rash surrounding the tick bite. The disease is treated with antibiotics. Left untreated, it can lead to nervous disorders and arthritis. The disease derives its name from the town of Lyme, Conn, where a high incidence of the disease occurred in the 1970s.