Leptospirosis is a spirochete that causes disease in both humans and animals. It is usually spread by contact with water contaminated by the urine of infected animals or by contact with urine droplets from infected animals.
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection transmitted by ticks that affects humans and animals. Not always, but often, sometime after the tick bite, a rash may appear. The rash usually appears at the tick bite location but can appear anywhere on the body. The rash can vary in appearance, but sometimes looks like a "bulls-eye". Early in the disease the rash is often accompanied by flu like symptoms. The later phases of the disease can bring on arthritis, headaches, and other systemic problems including various neurological manifestations. The heart, brain, eyes, ears, and other parts of the nervous system may be affected. Blood testing is sometimes unreliable and treatment with antibiotics is necessary for cure after a clinical diagnosis.
Federal and state or provincial government pages on Lyme disease.
An acute febrile illness caused by spirochetes of the genus Borrelia. The fevers spontaneously abate and then recur. The human body louse (Pediculus humanus) is the main vector. A less severe form is transmitted by soft ticks of the genus Ornithodorus.
A newly described illness of the southern United States, closely related to Lyme disease, caused by Borrelia lonestari. It is associated with the bite of the Lone Star Tick, Amblyomma americanum.