Clinical Care of Lyme Disease

Treatment best practices

These regimens are consistent with guidance published by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), American Academy of Neurology (AAN), and American College of Rheumatology (ACR).

• Erythema migrans
• Neurologic Lyme disease
• Lyme carditis
• Lyme arthritis

Prolonged symptoms

Although most people diagnosed with Lyme disease recover completely when treated with 2-4 weeks of antibiotics, some can have prolonged symptoms of fatigue, body aches, or difficulty thinking, among other symptoms. The cause of these symptoms is currently unknown, but similar symptoms have been reported following other types of infections, often referred to as infection-associated chronic conditions and illnesses (IACCI).

It is important that healthcare providers engage with patients who are seeking help and thoroughly evaluate potential diagnoses. It is also important to support patients and their families as they learn how to manage these symptoms. In partnership with CDC, the American Medical Association (AMA) developed a toolkit to help clinicians better serve patients with prolonged symptoms and concerns about Lyme disease.

The science around prolonged symptoms and Lyme disease is limited and evolving as scientists continue to study IACCIs. Additional research is needed to better understand how to treat, manage, and support people with prolonged symptoms associated with Lyme disease. Research on prolonged symptoms and Lyme disease contributes to a broader understanding of IACCIs.

Resources

• Infection-associated Chronic Conditions and Illnesses (IACCI)
• Progress Toward Understanding Infection-Associated Chronic Conditions and Illnesses
• CURE ID: Health care providers and the public can submit information about patient responses to Lyme treatments for acute and prolonged symptoms on CURE ID, a platform managed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes for Health's National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences.