Can You Get Lyme Disease Twice? Why Reinfection Is Common

Yes—you can get Lyme disease more than once. Prior infection does not provide full immunity, and many patients in endemic areas develop repeat infections over time.

You had Lyme before.
Symptoms are back.
You’re told it can’t happen again.

Many patients assume they are protected after having Lyme disease.

But that assumption is often incorrect.

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Can You Get Lyme Disease Twice?

Yes. Reinfection with Lyme disease is well documented.

In one study, approximately 15% of patients living in endemic areas developed one or more new infections within five years.

Prior infection does not appear to provide complete immunity.

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Why Lyme Reinfection Happens

Research suggests that Lyme disease may produce strain-specific immunity rather than full protection.

This means:

• You may develop partial protection to one strain
• But remain vulnerable to other strains of Borrelia burgdorferi

This pattern—new symptoms after prior Lyme disease—is a clinical clue that reinfection may be possible.

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Can Lyme Disease Come Back—or Is It Reinfection?

This is a common question.

When symptoms return, possibilities include:

• A new infection from a tick bite (reinfection)
• Persistent or ongoing symptoms from a prior infection

Distinguishing between these can be challenging and often requires clinical judgment.

For more on symptom patterns, see why Lyme symptoms can come and go.

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Clinical Implications

Reinfection has important implications for:

• Prevention strategies
• Clinical evaluation of new symptoms
• Vaccine development

Learn more about Lyme disease testing and diagnosis and how repeat infections can complicate evaluation.

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Clinical Perspective

Patients with prior Lyme disease should not assume they are protected.

Ongoing exposure to ticks—especially in endemic areas—can lead to reinfection with a different strain, resulting in new symptoms.

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Start Here

• Lyme disease prevention guide
• Lyme disease symptoms guide
• Coinfections and persistent symptoms

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Dr. Daniel Cameron, MD, MPH
Lyme disease clinician with over 30 years of experience and past president of ILADS.

Symptoms • Testing • Coinfections • Recovery • Pediatric • Prevention