Lyme disease cases double in Bulgaria, 24 new infections reported

Bulgaria reported 24 new Lyme disease infections in the past week, twice the number recorded for the same period last month. The majority of cases were found in Sofia and Gabrovo, with additional patients in Stara Zagora, Sliven, Blagoevgrad, Vidin, Kyustendil, Lovech, Pernik and Pleven.

Infection‑control specialist Dr. Trifon Valkan explained that Lyme disease is a bacterial, tick‑borne illness that typically peaks in the spring‑summer season. He noted that the disease usually presents with a characteristic migrating erythema (skin rash) ranging from a few centimeters up to 30‑40 cm in diameter, and that most patients do not experience fever or other severe symptoms. Valkan linked the recent surge to recent wet weather, which activates tick vectors and increases bite rates. He also emphasized that, despite the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the risk of Ebola spreading to Europe remains virtually zero.