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Lyme disease is an illness from getting bitten by a tick infected with a certain type of bacteria. It can cause fatigue, headache, stiff neck, fever, sore muscles and joints, and sometimes a red rash that looks like a bull's eye.

Antibiotics usually work. If you don't get treated right away, Lyme disease can cause serious problems with the joints, nervous system, and heart.

Current as of: March 3, 2017

Author: Healthwise Staff

Medical Review: E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine & Brian O'Brien, MD, FRCPC - Internal Medicine & Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine & W. David Colby IV, MSc, MD, FRCPC - Infectious Disease