Researchers at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology (LIAI) has announced an important finding on Lyme disease that could eventually lead to the development of a new vaccine to prevent this tick-borne disorder. Lyme disease is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected ticks. Typical symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue and sometimes skin rashes. If left untreated, it can spread to the joints, the heart and the nervous system and can lead to serious health problems.

For hikers, campers and others who enjoy the outdoors, summer can bring concerns about tick bites and related illnesses such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Researchers are investigating the role that antioxidants — alpha-lipoic acid and potentially others like green tea and vitamins C and E, for example — might play in preventing or treating the deadly rickettsia bacteria.