Lyme disease is an infection transmitted by the bite of ticks carrying the spiral-shaped bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. The disease was named for Lyme, Connecticut, the town where it was first diagnosed in 1975, after a puzzling outbreak of arthritis. The organism was named for its discoverer, Willy Burgdorfer. The effects of this disease can be long-term and disabling unless it is recognized and treated properly with antibiotics.

Lyme disease is a vector-borne disease, which means it is delivered from one host to another. In this case, a tick bearing the B. burgdorferi organism literally inserts it into a host's bloodstream when it bites the host to feed on its blood. It is important to note that neither B. burgdorferi nor Lyme disease can be transmitted from one person to another.

In the United States, Lyme disease accounts for more than 90% of all reported vector-borne illnesses. It is...