Here are definitions of medical terms related to lyme disease:
Antibiotics: Drugs that work against bacteria
Antibodies: Substances produced by the immune system to fight foreign invaders such as disease-causing microorganisms
Arthritis: Inflammation of a joint
Bacteria: Microscopic germs that can cause infection
Bell's palsy: Partial facial paralysis due to inflammation around a facial nerve
Ceftin: Trade name for the antibiotic cefuroxime axetil, approved by the FDA in 1996 for treatment of Lyme disease
DEET: An insect repellant effective against ticks, for use on exposed skin but not on the face or on the hands of young children
Erythema migrans: Spreading rash characteristic of Lyme disease infection
False negative: Test result indicating no disease when disease is actually present
False positive: Test result indicating disease when the disease in question is not present
Nymph: Immature stage of a tick's life cycle, between larval and adult, when transmission of Lyme disease to humans is most likely to occur
Permethrin: An insecticide effective against ticks, for use on clothing
Spirochete: A type of bacteria with a slender spiral shape
