Is Lyme Disease definately always "bacterial" or could lyme ticks host viral infections as well?

Question

Is Lyme Disease definately always "bacterial" or could lyme ticks host viral infections as well?

Answer 1

Lyme disease is by definition a bacterial disease caused by infection with Borrelia burgdorferi.   The ticks that spread this bacterium do not carry viruses that infect humans.

Answer 2

it's both. u could get lyme disease and that can be contagous and those special ticks can host the infection also

Answer 3

The organism that causes Lyme disease is a spirochete, a special type of bacterium.  There are other tick-borne diseases, and one tick can apparently carry more than one organism.

See this:

http://www.aldf.com/majorTick.shtml

The Lyme Disease Foundation website is full of good info:

http://www.aldf.com/index.shtml

Answer 4

There are viral, bacterial, fungal, as well as mycoplasma components to Lyme Disease. This is why it's so difficult to treat. It's transmission happens through other vectors than just ticks.

Answer 5

Okay I can definetly tell you this one. I live in Connecticut in Greenwich. Lyme disease was first found in 1975. It was first found in Lyme,Connecticut where they tested it from a small tick. Later they found that this disease that goes straight to the leg which causes a medium sized red mark with a circle on the middle outside of it was uncurable but can be treated with some medications. Lyme disease is a rapidly emerging bacteria that can simply come from a tiny tick. Lyme disease causes rash,Sick or flu like symptoms and pain in your legs, especially when you try to walk. Even some symptoms of lime disease can come in days,weeks, months or even years. If this diagnosis isn't treated by medical attention right away or you ignore the symptoms it can be untreatable and you could have it for the rest of your life making you have to use a wheelchair and taking medication. If you find a tick on you one day, DO NOT pull it off fast, since the tick might be pulled of quickly it can leave more venom inside of you causing you to get this disease, instead take tweezers and gently twick it off. To reduce infection, try to take the tick off before 24 hours. Watch where you step and make sure your careful where your at. If you are wondering about clothes. You should wear, tucked in socks, hat, long sleaved shirt *if possible* or jeans. Always check yourself after a hike to make sure.

Answer 6

Lyme Disease itself is always bacterial, though the symptoms are wide ranging.  The ticks could certainly host viral infections, but they would be separate from this disease.  These other disease could cause some of the major differences that occur between patients infected with the same disease, but there's not enough proof of that to say one way or the other.