An Unusual Case of Serologically Confirmed Post-Partum Lyme Disease Following an Asymptomatic <i>Borrelia burgdorferi</i> Infection Acquired during Pregnancy and Lacking Vertical Transmission in Utero

Abstract

In this report, we describe a 23-year-old female who, while pregnant, was exposed to Borrelia burgdorferi but did not develop significant signs or symptoms (joint pain, arthritis) of Lyme disease until shortly after delivering a healthy child at term. Serologic testing confirmed infection with B. burgdorferi. A 3-week course of treatment with doxycycline was completely curative. There was no evidence for congenital or perinatal transmission of this pathogen at any point pre-term or postnatally. The key reasons that could account for this unique clinical scenario are discussed in the context of previously published related reports.

Keywords

• Lyme disease
• arthritis
• pregnancy
• <i>Borrelia burgdorferi</i>
• Western blot
• congenital transmission