German medical and scientific societies have issued comprehensive on all aspects of Lyme disease, often called Lyme borreliosis in Europe.
The German guidelines covered skin manifestations in 2017 and neurological manifestations in 2018. The guidelines are based on exhaustive scientific reviews and are in accordance with the global scientific consensus about Lyme disease diagnosis and treatment.
The following German groups approved the guidelines:
- German Society of Neurology (DGN)
- German Dermatology Society (DDG)
- German College of General Practitioners and Family Physicians (DEGAM)
- German Society for Occupational and Environmental Medicine (DGAUM)
- German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery (DGHNOKHC)
- German Society for Hygiene and Microbiology (DGHM)
- German Society for Immunology (DGfI)
- German Society of Infectious Diseases (DGI)
- German Society of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Research (DGK)
- German Society of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine (DGKJ)
- German Society of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (DGKL)
- Society for Promoting Quality Assurance in Medical Laboratories (INSTAND)
- German Society of Paediatric Infectious Diseases (DGPI)
- The German Association of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics (DGPPN)
- German Society of Psychosomatic Medicine and Medical Psychotherapy (DGPM)
- German College of Psychosomatic Medicine (DKPM)
- German Society of Rheumatology (DGRh)
- German Pain Society (DGSS)
- German Ophthalmological Society (DOG)
- Paul Ehrlich Society for Chemotherapy (PEG)
- Robert Koch Institute
For the neurology guideline, The Austrian Society for Neurology (ÖGN) and Swiss Neurological Society also participated. For the skin guideline, the Austrian Society of Dermatology and Venerology (ÖGDV) also participated.
German Guidelines
Guidelines for diagnosis and treatment in neurology – Lyme neuroborreliosis (English, Deutsch, Deutsch HTML)
Additional English document: German S3 guideline on Lyme neuroborreliosis (English)
Cutaneous Lyme borreliosis: Guideline of the German Dermatology Society. (English)
Other German resources
LymeScience: Journalists expose German Lyme clinics
DGN: Folgen eines Zeckenstichs sicher erkennen und behandeln: Leitlinie Neuroborreliose veröffentlicht (Reliably recognize and treat the consequences of a tick bite: Neuroborreliosis guideline published), 2018-04-04
DGN: Leitlinie zur Neuroborreliose kann in Kraft treten (Neuroborreliosis guideline can come into force), 2018-03-19
DGN: Neuroborreliose: falsche Diagnose und gefährliche Therapie (Neuroborreliosis: incorrect diagnosis and dangerous therapy), 2016-09-22
DGN: Neuroborreliose: Langzeittherapie mit Antibiotika ist ein unnötiges Risiko (Neuroborreliosis: Long-term antibiotic therapy is an unnecessary risk), 2016-09-23
Committee for Infectious Diseases and Vaccination Questions in the Alliance Pediatric and Adolescent Health (Bündnis KJG): Klinisch gesteuerte rationale Borreliose-Diagnostik, 2023.
Huppertz HI, Bartmann P, Heininger U, Fingerle V, Kinet M, Klein R, Korenke GC, Nentwich HJ; Committee for Infectious Diseases and Vaccinations of the German Academy for Pediatrics and Adolescent Health. Rational diagnostic strategies for Lyme borreliosis in children and adolescents: recommendations by the Committee for Infectious Diseases and Vaccinations of the German Academy for Pediatrics and Adolescent Health. Eur J Pediatr. 2012.
Resources updated November 24, 2024, main post text updated May 23, 2023