Borrelia burgdorferi may be one of only a few pathogens that can persist for long periods of time in the body because of its ability to evade the immune system and protect itself from antibiotics. This long-term persistence causes serious immune system dysfunction and chronic inflammation. That inflammation, some scientists say, is the real cause of Lyme disease symptoms.   Recent research has identified a Borrelia burgdorferi surface protein, BBA57, that can impair the innate immune system response, which is your body’s first line of defense in the first few hours to days after infection.[1] Failure by the immune system to eliminate Borrelia during this first wave of defense enables the bacteria to spread, clearing the blood and entering tissues.   Seven to ten days later, when the immune system is ready to send its second wave of defense through the adaptive immune system, it sends far too many reinforcements to kill the bacteria. This overreaction produces intense inflammation wherever it finds the spirochetes present. Borrelia is killed, according to this theory, but the inflammation remains, causing the continuation and exacerbation of symptoms.   Additionally recurrence of the Borrelia infection in the body weeks after the immune response suggests the existence of a secondary defense mechanism, similar to how the human immune system functions. This may be how Lyme is able to persist.   While more research is required, chronic Lyme disease may be a chronic inflammatory condition, not a chronic bacterial infection. A major focus of Brio Medical’s Lyme disease treatment protocol is the equalizing of the inflammatory response, which we achieve with natural non-toxic therapies so you can move away from dependence on pharmaceutical drugs with undesirable side effects and unknown long-term consequences to your health. [1] https://www.pnas.org/content/115/16/E3788