Missed Diagnosis and the Development of Acute and Late Lyme Disease in Dark Skinned Populations of Appalachia

Abstract

Background: Lyme Disease (LD) is the most commonly reported vector-borne disease in the United States, affecting over 300,000 people in the United States each year. If early LD goes undetected or is inadequately treated, the causative spirochete bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi, can disseminate throughout the body and cause chronic symptoms that will characterize a patient with late LD. The incidence of LD is generally reported at a higher rate in light-skinned patients as compared to dark-skinned patients.