My {*filter*}age son, after a trip to Gateway National Park (NYC bird preserve) now
has a 2" diameter circular sore, non-itching insect bite on his biceps.  How
do we determine if it is lyme disease, or just a bite??  I know that a few
years ago a Lyme test was developed which was only 50% accurate (Is this like
flipping a coin?  (Have people done better?)

I know that the bite, if infected, is highly contagious.  I myself am on
Augmentin 3x/day for a sinus infection starting yesterday, and the previous
day I was on Cipro 500, 2x/day.  Could I have caught this from him by contact?
I have some open cuts.  Do I need to be tested too?

According to what I have read, this tick can be around even in the winter
since it is carried on sea-birds.  (We have 12 inches of snow on the ground
and 40F yesterday).

Would appreciate an E-mail copy of your response.

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Department of Mathematics
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA