Diagnose Lyme disease if bull’s eye rash is present, says NICE

People showing erythema migrans, the characteristic skin rash associated with Lyme disease, can be diagnosed without the need for blood tests, NICE says in new guidance. Lyme disease is an infection transmitted by the bite of a tick. Prompt diagnosis and early treatment helps reduce the risk of further symptoms developing. Laboratory tests check for antibodies in the blood however Lyme disease antibodies may first appear six to eight weeks after a person has been bitten by a tick. Early laboratory tests may not detect the disease and could slow diagnosis. Erythema migrans is a skin rash associated specifically with Lyme