Lyme Disease Becomes Chronic Because

Question

Lyme disease becomes chronic because
A) Borrelia changes its surface antigens frequently.
B) Borrelia can lie dormant in liver cells.
C) the bacterium resists phagocytosis.
D) Borrelia is an intracellular parasite of erythrocytes.
E) the bacterium resists phagocytosis and "hides" erythrocytes.

Accepted Answer

Borrelia changes its surface antigens frequently, evading the host immune system and making it difficult to develop effective vaccines or treatments.

Answer: E 
 The bacterium resists phagocytosis by white blood cells and can also "hide" in erythrocytes, which are not typically phagocytosed. This allows the bacterium to evade the immune system and potentially trigger chronic infection.