Asklemmy

Do you have an article about the case you're talking about?

There is a difference between Lyme disease and chronic Lyme disease. My guess is that this case has something to do with that difference.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyme_disease

Lyme disease, also known as Lyme borreliosis, is a tick-borne disease caused by species of Borrelia bacteria, transmitted by blood-feeding ticks in the genus Ixodes.[4][9][10] It is the most common disease spread by ticks in the Northern Hemisphere.[11][8] Infections are most common in the spring and early summer.[4] Infection is treatable with antibiotics. Most treated patients experience a full recovery. For some patients recovery may not be immediate or complete, resulting in long-term effects.[12] Early detection and prompt treatment are associated with more favorable outcomes.[13]

Diagnosis is based on a combination of symptoms, history of tick exposure, and possibly testing for specific antibodies in the blood

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronic_Lyme_disease

Despite numerous studies, there is no evidence that symptoms associated with CLD are caused by any persistent infection.[4] The symptoms attributed to chronic Lyme are in many cases likely due to fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome.[5][6] Fibromyalgia can be triggered by an infection, and antibiotics are not a safe or effective treatment for post-infectious fibromyalgia.[7] Fatigue, joint and muscle pain are also experienced by a minority of people following antibiotic treatment for Lyme disease.[3]

A number of alternative health products are promoted for chronic Lyme disease,[8] of which possibly the most controversial and harmful is long-term antibiotic therapy, particularly intravenous antibiotics.[9][10] Recognised authorities advise against long-term antibiotic treatment for Lyme disease, even where some symptoms persist post-treatment.[11][12][13]

In the United States, after disciplinary proceedings by state medical licensing boards, a subculture of "Lyme literate" physicians has successfully lobbied for specific legal protections, exempting them from the standard of care and science-based treatment guidelines. Such legislation has been criticised as an example of "legislative alchemy", the process whereby pseudomedicine is legislated into practice.[14][15][16] Some doctors view the promotion of chronic Lyme disease as an example of health fraud.[17]

Chronic Lyme disease is distinct from untreated late-stage Lyme disease, which can cause arthritis, peripheral neuropathy and/or encephalomyelitis. Chronic Lyme disease is also distinct from post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS) when symptoms linger after standard antibiotic treatments.[18][19] PTLDS is estimated to occur in less than 5% of people who had Lyme disease and were treated.[20] In contrast to these recognized medical conditions, the promotion of chronic Lyme disease has been accused of being health fraud.[17] In many cases there is no objective evidence that people who believe they have chronic Lyme have ever been infected with Lyme disease: standard diagnostic tests for infection are often negative.[2][21]