[–] cthulian_axioms 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago (edited ago)
Lyme disease is caused by Borrelia spp. bacteria. In the early 1970s, the enemy country was experimenting with Borrelia bacteria at the Plum Island Research Facility, in an attempt to turn it into a bioweapon. Somehow (it's unclear whether it was an accident or a deliberate release) the weaponized bacteria escaped containment and ended up in Old Lyme, CT (literally right across Long Island Sound from Plum Island), where it found the perfect carrier in deer ticks. This is how it got its name.
The rest is history.
In terms of treatment ...
I work at a veterinary hospital. We see Lyme-positive dogs with some degree of regularity, because ticks are fucking everywhere and they love to bite dogs. We usually give the dog a 30-day course of doxycycline and retest in six months. Sometimes they're negative on retest, sometimes they're not. If they're not, we usually just tell the owners to watch out for any signs of arthritis and treat symptomatically if they appear.
There aren't any conclusive studies which demonstrate efficacy of doxycycline as a treatment for Lyme in humans, though. Anecdotally, yeah, 30 days of doxy can sometimes have an effect if given soon enough after exposure, but IIRC if the person's already symptomatic, it's really not going to do much good.
In terms of symptoms, IIRC they're pretty much the same as in dogs -- arthritis and fatigue, which you treat symptomatically. (DISCLAIMER: I am not a human doctor and this isn't medical advice.)
[–] thelma ago
I think its a name to account for various viruses and bacteria.
The symptoms of the disease vary so much, I think that this explains why.
They give out horse pills for initial treatment.
[–] [deleted] ago
[–] thelma ago
Not true. Blood testing for Lyme disease is iffy, at best.
Web MD never had the disease....