The Tick Talk of Lyme Disease: How to Diagnose & When to Treat

Host: Darryl S. Chutka, M.D. [@chutkaMD] Guest: Elitza S. Theel, Ph.D. Lyme disease is quite common with more than 400,000 new cases per year in the United States alone. It’s associated with a constellation of typical symptoms, but it can also produce symptoms which are very unusual and vague. As a result, it can mimic a variety of other diseases. An accurate diagnosis of Lyme disease can be challenging, often resulting in a delay or even lack of treatment. In this podcast, we’ll discuss the typical presentation of Lyme disease as well as some of its more unusual presenting symptoms. We’ll also cover how to establish a diagnosis and its current treatment recommendations. Our guest is Elitza S. Theel, Ph.D., a clinical microbiologist from the Mayo Clinic. Connect with the Mayo Clinic’s School of Continuous Professional Development online at https://ce.mayo.edu/ or on Twitter @MayoMedEd.