GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Lyme disease has suddenly been thrust into the headlines after news of pop star Justin Timberlake’s diagnosis spread worldwide on Thursday. Here’s everything you need to know about Lyme disease.
WHAT IS LYME DISEASE?
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Lyme disease is caused by two specific bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi or Borrelia mayonii. The bacteria are spread to humans when bitten by infected blacklegged ticks. In the U.S., cases are most common in the Northeast, the Mid-Atlantic and the Upper Midwest.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?
Most people who become infected experience fevers, a headache, fatigue and a specific skin rash called erythema migrans. The rash usually looks like a bull’s-eye — a dark red center surrounded by a c