Should Patients Infected with Borrelia Burgdorferi No Longer Be Referred to as Having Lyme Disease?

In 1977, a seminal paper described what was subsequently called Lyme arthritis1. The name “Lyme” originated from the initial investigation of the disease that was conducted in the Connecticut towns of Lyme, Old Lyme and East Haddam1. As more of the clinical manifestations of this illness were discovered, the condition became referred to as Lyme disease2-4. In 1983, the principal etio logic agent for Lyme disease in North America was identified in patients3,5. The etiologic agent became known as Borrelia burgdorferi and until fairly recently was the only species of Lyme borrelia identified to cause Lyme disease in the United States.

Source: The American Journal of Medicine - July 15, 2018 Category: General Medicine Authors: Gary P. Wormser Tags: Commentary Source Type: research