The Discovery of Lyme Disease: How It Was Identified & Studied

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Lyme disease is now the most common tick-borne illness in North America—but its path to discovery is surprisingly recent. Although ticks have existed since the age of the dinosaurs and have been transmitting diseases for millennia, Lyme disease wasn’t officially identified until the late 20th century.

Thanks to the tireless efforts of physicians, scientists, and even everyday citizens, we now understand the causes of Lyme disease, how it's transmitted, and how to protect ourselves. Here’s the fascinating story of how Lyme disease was discovered.

A Disease with Ancient Roots

Ticks have been feeding on animals for millions of years. Fossilized ticks preserved in amber show that these arachnids coexisted with dinosaurs. Even Ötzi the Iceman—discovered frozen in the Alps and dating back over 5,000 years—showed signs of infection by Borrelia, the bacteria responsible for Lyme disease.

While the organism has been with us for centuries, our understanding of Lyme disease is relatively new.

Clues from Europe

In the late 1800s, Swedish dermatologist Dr. Arvid Afzelius documented patients with strange, expanding rashes—what we now recognize as the classic bull’s-eye rash, or erythema migrans. He theorized that the cause was a bite from the sheep tick (Ixodes ricinus), a cousin to the blacklegged tick found in the United States.

His research laid the groundwork, but the connection between ticks and Lyme disease wasn’t widely accepted—at least not yet.

A Mystery in Connecticut

The modern discovery of Lyme disease began in the 1970s in the town of Lyme, Connecticut. Polly Murray, a mother and artist, began noticing something odd in her community: several children on her street were diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, an extremely rare condition. She herself had unusual symptoms as well.

Convinced something was going on, Murray brought her concerns to public health officials. Her persistence led to an investigation by Dr. Allen Steere, a rheumatology fellow at Yale. Steere initially suspected a virus, but eventually connected the symptoms to tick exposure.

The Breakthrough Discovery

In 1981, Dr. Willy Burgdorfer—an entomologist studying tick-borne diseases—isolated the bacterium responsible for Lyme disease from the gut of a blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis). He named it Borrelia burgdorferi, after himself.

This discovery confirmed what researchers like Afzelius had suspected decades earlier: Lyme disease was caused by a tick-borne bacterium.

Earlier Signs in the U.S.

Even before this breakthrough, cases of what we now recognize as Lyme disease were being reported in the U.S. In Montauk, New York during the 1920s and 1940s, patients were treated for mysterious joint swelling, especially in the knee—nicknamed “Montauk knee.” These symptoms are now known to be typical of late-stage Lyme disease.

What We've Learned Since

Thanks to these early pioneers—and the determination of everyday citizens like Polly Murray—Lyme disease is no longer a mystery. We now know:

It’s transmitted primarily by the blacklegged tick (also called the deer tick)
It often starts with a bull’s-eye rash, fatigue, and fever
Early treatment with antibiotics is highly effective
Prevention through tick bite protection is critical

Preventing Lyme Disease Today

Despite being discovered relatively recently, Lyme disease is now a widespread and growing concern. But the good news is it’s also highly preventable.

Here’s how you can help protect yourself from ticks that may carry Lyme disease:

Wear Permethrin-Treated Clothing: Clothing treated with permethrin repels ticks.
Do Regular Tick Checks: Especially after spending time in grassy or wooded areas.
Tumble-Dry Clothes: A quick spin in a hot dryer kills any ticks that may be hiding on your clothing.
Know the Signs: Recognizing early symptoms helps ensure quick treatment and better outcomes.