Lyme disease is a common tick-borne illness with a high prevalence in the Northeast region of the United States.1 It is an infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, a gram-negative spirochetal bacterium carried by infected ticks such as Ixodes scapularis. They are found outdoors, latched onto blades of grass until they can attach to a host. If not treated early, serious complications can develop. Since Lyme antibodies can take several weeks to develop, false-negatives can arise in about 50% of cases when testing is done too early.
