Lyme disease: case report of persistent Lyme disease from Pulaski County, Virginia

Abstract

James R Palmieri,1 Scott King,1 Matthew Case,1 Arben Santo21Department of Microbiology, Infectious and Emerging Diseases, 2Department of Pathology, Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, Blacksburg, VA, USAAbstract: A 50-year-old woman from Pulaski, Virginia, presented to a local clinic with headaches, fever, generalized joint pain, excessive thirst and fluid intake, and a progressing rash on her back. On physical examination, she had a large circular red rash on her back with a bull's-eye appearance, 16 × 18 cm in diameter. Serologic tests confirmed a diagnosis of Lyme disease. The patient could recall a walk through the woods 3 weeks prior, although she never noticed a tick on her body. Following a prolonged course of antibiotics, this case report presents a patient with ongoing symptoms consistent with post-treatment Lyme disease.Keywords: arthritis, chronic Lyme disease (CLD), ELISA, erythema migrans, ixodid ticks, Lyme disease, post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS), Western blotting