Dr. Thomas A. Hackenberg MD

Borrelia burgdorferi is a gram-negative bacterium, which is the causative organism of Lyme disease. It is most commonly found in North America and Europe. Lyme disease is a zoonotic vector-borne disease. A zoonotic disease is a disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans and...

Chicken pox is a very easily spread disease, and the cause of the disease is the varicella-zoster virus that starts as sore and itchy skin. Besides children, pregnant mothers are at a high risk of acquiring the disease. Usually, the best method in avoiding the contracting of the virus is getting a...

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) is a very serious disease, which is characterized by a fluid buildup and inflammation in the lungs. This lung infection is caused by the fungus Pneumocystis jiroveci. It is an opportunistic disease that usually infects immunosuppressed individuals, especially...

What is Lyme disease?Lyme disease also called Lyme borreliosis is an inflammatory disorder in which the first symptoms that appear include rash, fever, headache, chills and then later arthritis, cardiac and neurological disorders. It is a bacterial infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi. ...

Genital herpes is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections (STI) in the United States that mostly affects people between 14 and 49. It occurs as a result of infection with both types of herpes simplex virus (HSV)-HSV1 and HSV2. However, most people with genital herpes are infected with...

Spirochetal bacteria are relatively harmless within the first days of infection, at worst, it may present with flu-like symptoms – fatigue, headaches, etc. After several weeks, however, the bacteria spread all over the body, affecting crucial body organs and causing severe symptoms. It all starts...