Lyme Disease Information for Health Professionals

On this page:
Required disease reporting
Clinical features 
Guidelines
More information
 

2022 Lyme Disease Case Definition and Reporting Update

Over the past decade, Lyme disease case follow-up investigations have become increasingly burdensome in high-incidence areas. To address this problem, an updated case definition for Lyme disease was implemented on Jan. 1, 2022.

• Letter to case reporters (PDF)
  March 3, 2022 letter to case reporters regarding this change.

Case reporting in Minnesota will be based on whether the county of residence is considered high-incidence or low-incidence.

• Minnesota high and low incidence counties for Lyme disease reporting purposes (PDF)

Required disease reporting

• Reporting Lyme Disease
  Minnesota Rules Governing Communicable Diseases require health care providers to report cases of Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi and other Borrelia spp.) to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) within 1 working day.
  
  MDH staff also are available to provide clinical consultation regarding diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases. Call 651-201-5414 for a clinical consultation.

Clinical features

• Signs and Symptoms
  The signs and symptoms of Lyme disease vary among individuals. A person may not have all of these symptoms.
• Rashes Caused by Lyme Disease
  • CDC: Lyme Disease Rashes and Look-alikes

Guidelines

• CDC: Tickborne Diseases of the United States: A Reference Manual for Health Care Providers
  CDC Handbook, designed as a way for health care providers to access information on tickborne diseases and tick identification.
  
   
• Clinical Practice Guidelines by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), American Academy of Neurology (AAN), and American College of Rheumatology (ACR): 2020 Guidelines for the Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Lyme Disease
  Clinical Practice Guidelines by the Infectious Diseases Society of America.
  
   
• Clinical Practice Guidelines by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA): 2020 Guideline on Diagnosis and Management of Babesiosis
  Clinical Practice Guidelines by the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

More information

• Tickborne Disease Materials
  Printable and downloadable materials for provider and patient education, including tick ID cards, posters, fact sheets, maps, and presentations.
  
   
• CDC: Lyme Disease
  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention general information about Lyme disease.
• CDC: Tickborne Disease Continuing Education
  This free online curriculum will enable front-line healthcare providers to recognize, diagnose, and treat Lyme disease, an increasingly common tickborne illness.