About a year ago, the president came down with an unconfirmed case of Lyme disease, the White House has said. Spokesman Scott Stanzel said the ailment wasn’t disclosed to the public because Bush had already had his physical and “It’s not uncommon for the president to have tick bites when he’s out biking.” That’s just gross.


AP via Globe and Mail:

Lyme disease is a tick-borne infection that, if left untreated, can cause arthritis and other problems. Symptoms can include lethargy, joint pain, fever, limping and loss of appetite. A bacterial disease, it can be eradicated with antibiotic treatment in the early stages. It can recur in some patients, but Mr. Bush’s doctors say it hasn’t with him.

White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said the treatment was not disclosed earlier because it happened after he had his last physical, on Aug. 1, 2006. He said doctors decided not to do blood tests to determine for certain that he had Lyme disease because the treatment worked and he never progressed to other symptoms.

“It was a rash,” he said. “It’s not uncommon for the president to have tick bites when he’s out biking.”

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