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Lyme Borreliosis and Other Nonvenereal Spirochetal Infections

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Braun-Falco´s Dermatology

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Abstract

Lyme borreliosis, leptospirosis, and relapsing fever are multisystemic zoonoses caused by spirochetes. The causative bacteria are Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (transmission by Ixodes ticks), Leptospira interrogans (infection in water and damp soil after excretion by infected animals), and relapsing fever borreliae transmitted by ticks (endemic relapsing fever) or lice (epidemic relapsing fever). In Lyme borreliosis, the skin is the organ most frequently affected (>85%). There are three forms of dermatoborrelioses: erythema migrans, Borrelia lymphocytoma, and acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans. In leptospirosis and relapsing fever, 50–60% of patients develop nonspecific macular/papular exanthemas, sometimes with a petechial character. Leptospirosis and relapsing fever can occur in phases or episodes of high fever and cause severe symptoms in numerous organs. In the diagnosis of the latter two, direct pathogen detection is of key importance. In Lyme borreliosis, serology is routinely used, but the possibility of false-positive or false-negative findings must be kept in mind. Oral doxycycline is the drug of choice for the treatment of Lyme borreliosis, mild leptospirosis, and relapsing fever. Severe leptospirosis and relapsing fever are treated intravenously with benzylpenicillin.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Federal Hospital Wiener Neustadt, Wiener Neustadt, Austria

    Robert Müllegger

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  1. Robert Müllegger
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Correspondence to Robert Müllegger .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology, University of Munich, Munich, Germany

    Gerd Plewig

  2. Department of Dermatology, University of Munich, Munich, Germany

    Lars French

  3. Department of Dermatology, University of Munich, Munich, Germany

    Thomas Ruzicka

  4. Department of Dermatology, Venerology and Allergology, Frankfurt University Hospital, Frankfurt, Germany

    Roland Kaufmann

  5. Clinic for Dermatology and Allergology, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany

    Michael Hertl

Section Editor information

  1. Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University of Munich, Munich, Germany

    Thomas Ruzicka

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Müllegger, R. (2021). Lyme Borreliosis and Other Nonvenereal Spirochetal Infections. In: Plewig, G., French, L., Ruzicka, T., Kaufmann, R., Hertl, M. (eds) Braun-Falco´s Dermatology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-58713-3_14-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-58713-3_14-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-662-58713-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-662-58713-3

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