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Facts About Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is an infection caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. This bacterium is usually found in animals such as mice and deer. Ixodes ticks can pick up the bacteria when they bite an infected animal, then transmit it to a person, which can lead to Lyme disease.

Ticks live in grass and shrubs and attach themselves to a suitable host as it passes by. Ticks are small and can be hard to see. Immature ticks, or nymphs, are about the size of a poppy seed.

The majority of reported Lyme disease cases occur in the Northeast, upper Midwest, and Pacific coastal areas of the United States because these regions are where ticks tend to live. Though Lyme disease cases have been reported from all over, in 2005 the majority of cases were reported in:

* Connecticut
* Delaware
* Maine
* Maryland
* Massachusetts
* Minnesota
* New Hampshire
* New York
* New Jersey
* Pennsylvania
* Wisconsin

Some cases of Lyme disease have also been reported in Asia, Europe, and parts of Canada.

Signs and Symptoms

Lyme disease can affect the skin, joints, nervous system, and other organ systems. Symptoms, and their severity, can vary from person to person.

The symptoms of Lyme disease are often described as occurring in three stages, though not everyone experiences all stages:
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