Abstract

Lyme disease (LD), a zoonotic disease caused mainly by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb), has around 300,000 new cases each year, making it the most common vector-borne disease in the United States. Although LD is the most common vector-borne disease, it is still tremendously misunderstood. One critical part of LD that is misunderstood is Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS), a chronic disease of experiencing ongoing LD symptoms even after antibiotic treatment. This paper not only looks at clinical information about LD, but also looks at the life of Bb, clinical information and possible causes of PTLDS, and potential treatments. The author uses this information cumulatively to exhibit why a cure for LD and PTLDS is nonexistent. The basis for the author’s reasoning is due to three reasons- the uniqueness of every LD/PTLDS case, the intelligence of Bb, and the current situation of limited information being known.