LRC SHOP

More than 35 years after its discovery, Lyme disease remains a controversial illness. At the heart of this controversy lies a profound disagreement over the existence of persistent infection with the Lyme spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi, and the ability of this persistent infection to cause chronic symptoms in patients who are untreated or undertreated for the initial spirochetal disease. Although the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) maintains that there is no "credible scientific evidence" for persistent infection with B. burgdorferi following 2-4 weeks of antibiotic therapy, a growing number of animal and human studies provide evidence for persistent infection as a cause of chronic symptoms in Lyme disease patients, thereby disputing the IDSA point of view.