Lyme borreliosis (LB) is the most common vector-borne disease in Europe, with over 70% of the cases represented by the cutaneous form erythema migrans (EM).1 Several studies confirm that reinfections, i.e. new episodes of LB, can occur in humans.2-7 In a 5-year follow-up study of individuals diagnosed with EM and treated with antibiotics in southern Sweden, 31 out of 708 individuals were found to be reinfected, i.e. had one or several new EM that required a doctor's visit and treatment with antibiotics.3 Although women and men were tick-bitten to the same extent, 27 of these 31 individuals were women, and all of these women were older than 44 years.3 This observation could in part be explained by host immune mechanisms acting differently either in women compared with men, or in reinfected compared with single-infected individuals. Women are known to display different immune
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