Estonian president contracts Lyme disease

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Photo: Eero Vabamägi

Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves was diagnosed with Lyme disease or tick-borne borreliosis, but that is not stopping Ilves from performing his head of state duties.

According to spokesperson for the office of the president Piret Pert, Ilves was diagnosed with borreliosis at the Viljandi Hospital at the beginning of August. A few days earlier he had gone mushroom picking in the forest.

According to Pert the president is being treated and he continues to perform his daily duties.

The pharmaceutical industry has not yet found a vaccine against borreliosis. The disease is treated by means of antibiotics. While tick-born encephalitis is usually found only in the warmer months of the year then doctors diagnose   Lyme disease all year round.

The most ordinary symptom of infection with borreliosis is a reddish skin rash of a couple of centimeters in diameter.

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