Washington – President Bush was treated for Lyme disease last August, the White House announced Wednesday after failing to disclose the problem for nearly a year.
The treatment was revealed only when the White House made public all the results of Bush’s annual physical exam Wednesday. It showed up in the “past medical history” section.
Bush was treated for what his doctors described as “early, localized Lyme disease” after developing the characteristic bull’s-eye rash. Lyme disease is a tick-borne infection that, if left untreated, can cause arthritis and other problems.
White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said Bush’s treatment was not disclosed earlier because it happened after his last physical, on Aug. 1, 2006.
“It was a rash,” Stanzel said. “It’s not uncommon for the president to have tick bites when he’s out biking.”
Bush’s doctors advised him to start wearing long pants and long- sleeved shirts and use bug spray in risk-prone areas such as Maine, where he is spending this weekend at his parents’ summer home.
Doctors pronounced the 61-year-old president healthy overall.
