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Lyme Disease Lyme disease is transmitted by tiny ticks of the Ixodidae family and afflicts about 10,000 people yearly. Initially identified in a group of children in Lyme, Conn., the disease has now been found in nearly all states and 18 other countries. About 90 percent of cases are reported in three areas: the northeast and mid-Atlantic states (Massachusetts to Maryland), the upper Midwest (Minnesota and Wisconsin), and the Far West (California and Oregon). The first sign is …

…May be accompanied by flu-like symptoms such as headache, fatigue, fever, chills, sore throat, and aching muscles and joints. If not treated, weeks later the development of a generalized and painful kind of arthritis, with swelling in one or sometimes both knees. Paralysis (most often of the face), memory impairment, random areas of tingling or numbness. Skin sensitivities. Stiff neck. Sensitivity to light. Irregular heartbeat (see Heart Arrhythmia), chest pain, dizziness. Psychological changes, including depression.