Lyme disease in Costa Rica, a case report

Abstract

Lyme disease or Lyme borreliosis is a zoonosis transmitted by the Ixodes ticks and caused by a spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. It has been reported mostly in North America, Europe and Asia and is clinically characterized by a presentation on 3 stages, starting with erythema migrans that begins around the tick bite. Disseminated infection with fever, migratory arthritis, lymphadenopathy, neurological alterations and hepatitis and the chronic phase characterized by arthritis, periostitis, chronic encephalomielitis, polyradiculopathy amongst other manifestations. In Costa

Médico infectólogo, Hospital San Juan de Dios

Profesor asociado, Escuela de Medicina, UCR

Correspondencia: Ricardo Boza Cordero

Correo electronico: [email protected]

ISSN 0001-6002/2011/53/1/34-36

Acta Médica Costarricense, ©2011

Colegio de Médicos y Cirujanos

Rica, we know of no reports of patients with this disease, so we herein present the case of an woman who, after a trip to the state of Florida, presented clinical and serological alterations compatible with the mild form of Lyme disease. The findings are discussed and also we alert to the possibility of diagnosing this zoonosis, given the increment of green or ecological tourism nowadays.