Think ticks are bad? Here are the top 5 political ailments

President Bush was treated for Lyme disease after he developed the characteristic “bull’s-eye” rash that marks the beginning of the tick-borne infection.

The disclosure, which the White House had kept secret for nearly 12 months, was made in Mr Bush’s annual medical report. It also stated that he has suffered mild vertigo in recent weeks, but that he was otherwise in excellent health.

Lyme disease is transmitted through tick bites. If left untreated it can lead to arthritis and neurological disorders, but if diagnosed early it is treated easily with antibiotics. The White House said that Mr Bush received the standard treatment for the rash on his left shin and developed no other symptoms.

Doctors believe that Mr Bush received the tick bite while on a mountain bike, his main form of exercise. He has been advised to wear trousers and long-sleeved shirts, and to apply insect repellant before biking, especially in risk-prone areas such as Maine, where he is spending this weekend at his parent’s coastal summer house in Kennebunkport.

Scott Stanzel, a White House spokesman, said that because the Lyme disease incident did not affect Mr Bush’s duties or his schedule, it was not disclosed to the public at the time. Mr Bush discovered the circular rash below his left knee soon after last year’s medical report had been made public. He was aware of Lyme disease, which is common on the east coast of the US. Mr Stanzel said that doctors had decided not to perform blood tests because the treatment worked on the one area in which the President had suffered a rash.

The dizzy spells, which doctors said had not affected his work, began after Mr Bush contracted a viral infection at the G8 summit in Germany in June. Mr Bush also has sinusitis and has recovered from an ear infection in recent days.

Doctors said that Mr Bush, 61, who smokes an occasional cigar and enjoys coffee and diet fizzy drinks, remains in the “superior” fitness category for a man of his age. They placed him in the leading 3 per cent of the population, thanks in part to his six-day-a-week exercise regime.

Mr Bush had a colonoscopy last month at the presidential retreat at Camp David. Five growths were removed from his colon but doctors determined that none was cancerous.

Mr Bush, who is 5ft 11½in (180cm), has lost 4lb since his annual medical examination last August. He now weighs 192lb (87kg). His body fat percentage fell from 16.8 to 16.6. The President has skin lesions consistent with sun damage and has been advised to wear sunscreen and a hat when in the sun.

“Doctors have determined that the President remains in superior fitness for a man of his age - anybody who has seen him on the bike or out and about certainly knows that - and he is fit for duty,” said Tony Snow, Mr Bush’s spokesman.

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