Lyme bacteria persister forms, antibiotics and essential oils with Dr. Ying Zhang

Lyme disease is the most common vector borne-disease in the United States with approximately 300,000 cases reported annually. It is caused by the spirochetal organism Borrelia burgdorferi. While the majority of the Lyme disease patients can be cured with 2–4 weeks antibiotic treatment, about 10–20% of patients continue to suffer from persisting symptoms. My guest today is the lead author of a study recently published in the journal, Antibiotics, which studied testing a group of essential oils to determine their effectiveness against the persistent Lyme bacteria. Joining me is professor in the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Ying Zhang, MD, PhD.