Lyme Disease is becoming more wide-spread and common. There have been many articles and even books on the subject. Jane Brody devoted her column this week to Lyme. It's a fine introduction and a good source of references. She writes:
"The disease can be maddeningly difficult to diagnose. Only 50 to 70 percent of patients recall being bitten by a tick. Ordinary laboratory tests are rarely helpful. Tests for antibodies to the bacterium or for its genetic footprints result in many false-negative and false-positive findings."
To access her article, go to: Lyme Permalink.
Ms. Brody also cites a recent Mayo Clinic Proceedings article: Diagnosis and Treatment of Lyme Disease which can be accessed at MCP Lyme or this pdf: Download lyme_mayo.pdf