where did the name lyme disease come from
Lyme disease Lyme disease is the most common disease spread by ticks in the Northern Hemisphere.[13] It is estimated to affect 300,000 people a year in the United States and 65,000 people a year in Europe.[2][4] Infections are most common in the spring and early summer.[2] Lyme disease was diagnosed as a separate condition for the first time in 1975 in Old Lyme, Connecticut.[14] It was originally mistaken for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.[14] The bacterium involved was first described in 1981 by Willy Burgdorfer.[15] Chronic symptoms are well described and are known as post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome, often called chronic Lyme disease.[12] Some healthcare providers claim that it is due to ongoing infection; however, this is not believed to be true, due to the inability to detect infectious organisms after standard treatment.[16] A Lyme vaccine was marketed in the US between 1998 and 2002; it was withdrawn from the market due to poor sales, originally due to lack of reimbursement by insurance companies and then due to rumors about adverse effects.[2][17] Research is ongoing to develop new vaccines.[2]