posted
I have a friend who had a positive test for Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever after a tick bite. However he also got a bullseye rash. He started getting neuropathy a couple of weeks after the bite, as well as other symptoms.
My question is, does the positive RMSF test rule out Lyme as the cause for the tick bite? Can that particular type of rash be caused by RMSF, or does Lyme commonly co-occur with other tick-borne infections?
Thanks for your input!
Posts: 8 | From OR | Registered: Nov 2010
| IP: Logged |
James1979
Unregistered
posted
I think the rash is indicative of Lyme alone. The RMSF causes different kinds of rashes, but not the bull's eye (I think).
You can definitely have both Lyme borrelia and RMSF at the same time. Not only that, but you might be dealing with other co-infections besides those two as well.
Lyme definitely commonly co-occurs with co-infections. Many people say it's rare to get just Lyme borreliosis alone, without any co-infections.
IP: Logged |
posted
Alas, this was a few years ago and they just treated the RMSF ... So the bullseye is Lyme-specific?
Posts: 8 | From OR | Registered: Nov 2010
| IP: Logged |
posted
Yes, the bull's eye rash is specific for Lyme and means that Lyme treatment is needed.
Posts: 13116 | From San Francisco | Registered: May 2006
| IP: Logged |
The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations. If you would like to support the Network and the LymeNet system of Web services, please send your donations to:
The
Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey 907 Pebble Creek Court,
Pennington,
NJ08534USA http://www.lymenet.org/
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
Printer-friendly view of this topic