Although Lyme disease was first identified in Lyme, Connecticut, during the 1970s, the vector-borne disease can be traced very far back. Tens of thousands of years, to be exact. “A team of researchers led by the Yale School of Public Health has found that the Lyme disease bacterium is ancient in North America, circulating silently in forests for at least 60,000 years—long before the disease was first described in Lyme, Connecticut, in 1976 and long before the arrival of humans.” (https://bit.ly/3aky8lh)

By the late 1970s, researchers began to form a picture of the signs and symptoms of Lyme Disease. They identified its common characteristics: headaches, muscle and joint aches (swollen knees), rashes, fatigue, and paralysis (facial palsy). The only missing piece of the puzzle was the cause. There was a strong case for the ticks being the vectors of the disease, or “living organisms that can transmit infectious pathogens between humans, or from animals to humans.” (WHO)

However, another major breakthrough did not occur until 1982. William Burgdorfer and his team identified the link between the bacterium that caused Lyme disease and deer ticks. The bacterium was named Borrelia burgdorferi after the scientist.

Since then, we have accumulated more and more knowledge on Lyme disease. Now more than ever, we need to educate and spread awareness about it as “Each year, approximately 30,000 cases of Lyme disease are reported to CDC by state health departments and the District of Columbia… Recent estimates using other methods suggest that approximately 476,000 people may get Lyme disease each year in the United States.” (CDC)

With all of the discoveries regarding this disease, and the potential to get out and enjoy the areas where it can be caught, it is no accident that May is National Lyme Disease Awareness Month. Knowledge is power, so stay safe and be sure to check your pets and yourself for ticks when you spend time outdoors and especially on hiking trails.