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Standard treatment for early Lyme disease, as recommended by the Infectious Diseases Society of America, is 14 days of amoxicillin for adults and children or 14 days of doxycycline for adults and children aged 8 years and older. Patients often receive longer courses of antibiotics because of persistent symptoms or concern about long-term complications. In a large, retrospective cohort study and follow-up survey, researchers examined whether treatment duration affected outcomes in 607 patients (age, >18 years) with early localized or early disseminated Lyme disease diagnosed in 2000–2004.
Clinical status follow-up surveys were returned by 299 patients (49%) at a mean of 4.5 years after diagnosis. Nearly all patients had been treated with doxy…