But the idea of a Lyme infection that is not completely treated and lingers for years is controversial. Most doctors say that the vast majority of people with the disease, if caught early, can be treated completely with just a short course of antibiotics. "There is no consensus over whether chronic Lyme actually exists," says Matthew Dryden, a consultant microbiologist at Public Health England's Rare and Imported Pathogens Laboratory (RIPL).
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