Positive Tests for Lyme Disease and Emergency Department Visits for Bell's Palsy Patients.

Background: Etiologies for Bell's palsy include herpes viruses and Lyme disease, with highest incidence in the colder and warmer months, respectively. In New Jersey, a Lyme-endemic area, the months with the most Lyme disease (80% of cases) are May through October ("Lyme months").

Objective: Our aim was to determine whether positive tests for Lyme disease and visits are greater in the Lyme months than the rest of the year for patients with Bell's palsy in New Jersey emergency departments (EDs).