Lyme disease is a bacterial infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi that is transmitted through the bite of an infected blacklegged tick, also called a deer tick. These ticks are tiny, bloodsucking arachnids that are about the size of a poppy seed (nymphs) or a sesame seed (adults). They hide out in wooded areas with bushes and long grass and then attach themselves to people as they brush by.
