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Causes and Risk Factors

Lyme disease is caused by infection with Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria. In the Northeast and North Central United States, the deer tick (Ioxodes scapularis) is responsible for transmission and in the Northwest, the western black-legged tick (Ioxodes pacificus) is the carrier.


The ticks that cause Lyme disease are very small. They live in wooded areas, low-growing grasslands near seashores, areas overgrown with brush, and in yards. The adult ticks are black or re...Read the full article