The Facts
Lyme disease was first discovered in 1975 near Lyme, Connecticut, when 2 mothers called the local health department to voice their concerns about the high rate of arthritis among children in the area. It emerged that their symptoms were caused by a bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferi, which is transmitted by the bite of a tick.
When surveillance of Lyme disease began in the US in 1982, there were about 491 cases reported annually. This number has since increased to 23,763 in 2003. Currently, about 15,000 cases are reported each year in the US. However, people with Lyme disease may actually be misdiagnosed with other medical conditions, including arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, and mood disorders, which may still be under-reported.