Lyme disease is a persistent problem

A new trial shows that the symptoms of Lyme disease linger despite antibiotic treatment. Lyme disease, caused by a bacterium that lives in tiny ticks, sometimes produces very long-lasting fatigue and cognitive problems. Even though antibiotic treatment is standard, researchers in Texas feel that this treatment would not be enough to clear up the problem.

They studied 40 Lyme patients, some of whom were assigned to the antibiotic ceftriaxone while the rest took a placebo. The antibiotic group improved, relative to the controls, regarding fatigue levels - but the level of infection and cognitive problems remained. What's more, seven per cent of the patients on ceftriaxone were also hospitalised with adverse effects. The findings suggest that more research is now needed to improve the outlook for those with Lyme disease.