Lyme bacteria may resist antibiotic treatment, study finds

Lyme disease bacteria may persist even after a complete antibiotic treatment course, according to a study by Dr. Brian Fallon, director of Columbia University's Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases Research Center. Ticks that fed on mice infected and subsequently treated for Lyme disease still acquired the spirochete bacteria, according to the study. "[The research] has forced the academic community to rethink their understanding of Lyme disease," Fallon said. "No longer do they think that the antibiotic treatment necessarily wipes out all the spirochetes." Star-Gazette (Elmira, N.Y.) (tiered subscription model) (3/27)