What is the treatment of choice for Lyme disease?

The treatment of choice for Lyme disease is doxycycline. This antibiotic is preferred due to its effectiveness against Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. Doxycycline not only treats Lyme disease effectively but also has additional benefits such as its ability to penetrate tissues and its anti-inflammatory properties, which can be helpful in treating related complications like Lyme arthritis.

Doxycycline is especially suitable for adult patients and has been shown to be effective in the early stages of the disease, making it the standard recommendation. In some cases, such as in pregnant women or very young children, amoxicillin or cefuroxime may be preferred to avoid potential side effects of tetracycline antibiotics like doxycycline. However, for the general population, doxycycline remains the first-line treatment option due to its strong efficacy and oral availability.

This strong rationale for using doxycycline makes it the most appropriate choice among the options presented for the treatment of Lyme disease.