← Back to Lyme Disease
Health guidanceUnited Kingdom with regional context

Can Lyme disease cause meningitis?

Neurological Lyme disease can inflame the meninges, causing headache, neck stiffness or other symptoms that need urgent assessment.

Reviewed by VuxLore® Knowledge Team For Everyone

Short answer

Neurological Lyme disease can inflame the meninges, causing headache, neck stiffness or other symptoms that need urgent assessment.

At a glance

Neurological Lyme disease can inflame the meninges, causing headache, neck stiffness or other symptoms that need urgent assessment. Use NHS and NICE guidance in the UK; diagnosis and treatment belong to clinicians.

Key takeaways

• Neurological Lyme disease can inflame the meninges, causing headache, neck stiffness or other symptoms that need urgent assessment.

• Use NHS and NICE guidance in the UK; diagnosis and treatment belong to clinicians.

• This article is educational and cannot diagnose, exclude or treat illness. Use NHS 111, a GP, emergency services or the corresponding local service according to symptom severity.

Direct answer

Neurological Lyme disease can inflame the meninges, causing headache, neck stiffness or other symptoms that need urgent assessment.

Use it in context

Use NHS and NICE guidance in the UK; diagnosis and treatment belong to clinicians.

Practical next step

This article is educational and cannot diagnose, exclude or treat illness. Use NHS 111, a GP, emergency services or the corresponding local service according to symptom severity.

Sources and further reading

UK Lyme disease guidance and data

For current UK clinical advice, public-health guidance and surveillance data, consult these primary national sources.

  1. Lyme disease — NHS opens in a new tab
  2. Lyme disease: diagnosis and management (NG95) — NICE opens in a new tab
  3. Lyme disease: management and prevention — UKHSA opens in a new tab
  4. Lyme disease surveillance dashboard — UKHSA opens in a new tab
  5. Lyme disease — NHS Inform Scotland opens in a new tab