Lyme disease: advice for nurses on symptoms and treatment

The condition is spread via tick bites, but can be difficult to diagnose. Find out about common symptoms, including erythema migrans – the bullseye rash – and advising patients in prevention

• About 3,000 cases of Lyme disease are diagnosed each year in the UK, although experts suspect there are far more and numbers are going up
• The disease's impact can vary from mild flu-like symptoms to severe rheumatological, neurological and cardiac problems
• As symptoms can be vague or even misdiagnosed, thorough history taking is vital, experts say. Find out what to look for and how to help your patients

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