Simple questions, difficult answers

Lyme disease is, obviously, a much bigger news story in the North East. The New Haven Register recently published a number of articles about the disease and the issues involved. All the articles are fairly short, I'd recommend you read the first one and then any of the other questions that seem interesting.

LYME DISEASE: Simple questions, difficult answers as controversy endures

(M)uch about the corkscrew-shaped microorganism and the ills it causes continue to mystify disease specialists.

Why are some patients easily cured with antibiotics, while others continue to suffer for months or years? Why do some patients experience a mild illness, while others are practically immobilized?

• What is Lyme disease?
• What causes Lyme disease, exactly?
• If the spirochete was not created in a lab, where did it come from and how does it live around here?
• If I find a tick on me, what should I do?
• Can the black-legged tick transmit anything bad other than Lyme disease?
• Why don’t we just eradicate ticks?
• How do I know if I have Lyme disease?
• What’s the harm in giving antibiotics just to be safe?
• Doctors keep saying they have studies. What studies?
• There’s a lot of disagreement about Lyme disease. But why is there so much acrimony?

Or if you'd just rather read about George Clooney's face...