Lyme disease, borreliosis or Lyme disease is an infectious disease caused by bacteria (borrelia). It is transmitted primarily by ticks. Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne infectious disease in the Northern Hemisphere.

Lyme borreliosis is a worldwide disease. The main areas of distribution are North America, Europe, Asia and North Africa.

mice and birds, but also other animals such as reptiles, hedgehogs, foxes or rabbits. Over 30 percent of the common wood tick; the most common tick species in Central and Northern Europe, are infected with Borrelia.

Transmission occurs via the bite of infected ticks. The Borrelia bacteria are transmitted to humans after a few hours during the biting and sucking act of the tick. Not all ticks are infected and not every tick bite leads to Lyme disease. The risk of infection is about 5%. There is no transmission from human to human.

A typical ring-shaped, reddish rash called erythema migrans or wandering redness occurs in about 85% of cases. Headache, fever, fatigue or joint pain may also occur. With proper and prompt treatment, symptoms resolve quickly.

Another form of Lyme disease affects the nervous system: a few weeks after infection, meningitis and facial nerve paralysis may occur, especially in children, and painful nerve root inflammation and paralysis in adults. Other rare forms include joint inflammation and typical skin lesions on the extensor sides of the extremities. In most forms, timely antibiotic treatment leads to sustained improvement; untreated, Lyme disease can lead to long-lasting symptoms.

Lyme disease is treated with antibiotics. The duration of treatment depends on the stage of the disease. Early forms of Lyme disease are treated over a period of 10 to 14 days. Late forms are treated over four weeks.

There is currently no vaccination against Lyme disease. The most important preventive measure is protection against tick bites: well-fitting, closed clothing and avoidance of undergrowth, tall grass, dense bushes in gardens or near forests.

Lyme borreliosis is a frequently diagnosed disease in Austria, but is not notifiable. It is estimated that 25,000 to 70,000 people contract the disease every year. Most cases are observed in spring and summer, when people spend more time outdoors and are bitten more frequently by ticks.

As part of a research project, a national tick surveillance programme has been running since the beginning of 2024, in which ticks are also tested for Borrelia, among other things.

Lyme disease, borreliosis or Lyme disease is an infectious disease caused by bacteria from the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex. This term includes those Borrelia species that cause most infections in Europe: B. afzelii, B. garinii, B. bavariensis, and B. burgdorferi sensu stricto. The common wood tick(Ixodes ricinus) is the most common vector of Borrelia in Europe.

The development of Ixodes ricinus includes three stages: larva, nymph, and adult (adult) tick. Small rodents or birds are the most common hosts for larvae, and larger rodents or medium-sized mammals, such as cats or dogs, for nymphs. Larger hosts, such as deer and deer, are important blood hosts for adult ticks, but are not reservoirs of Borrelia. Ticks pick up borrelia from one host animal during a blood meal and pass it on to the next host.

Lyme disease is treated with antibiotics. Various treatment options are available for this. The duration of treatment depends on the stage of the disease.

Early forms of Lyme disease are usually treated with oral or intravenous antibiotics over a period of 10 to 14 days.

Late forms are treated over four weeks. Most patients respond well to antibiotic therapy and show improvement in their symptoms. This is especially true for erythema migrans and neuroborreliosis. Timely treatment of Lyme borreliosis is important to avoid possible late sequelae.