Lyme disease is often called "the great imitator" because it presents like a variety of different diseases or neurological disorders. As a result, Lyme patients are commonly misdiagnosed with a number of other conditions, everything from multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease to autism and even schizophrenia.

Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in the Northern Hemisphere. It's transmitted to humans by the bite of a tick infected with the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. Early symptoms may include fever, headache, fatigue, muscle and joint pains as well as a characteristic 'bulls eye' rash. Generally, if the illness is treated early the infection and its symptoms can be eliminated by antibiotics. If left untreated, however, the bacteria can move through the bloodstream and more serious symptoms can develop, which can be disabling and increasingly difficult to treat.

Professor George Chaconas a University of Calgary researcher, has spent the last 10 years studying the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria that causes Lyme disease. According to Chaconas, it's the bacteria's ability to change the proteins on its coat that makes it so elusive to the immune system.