History of Lyme disease in Timeline

Lyme disease, or Lyme borreliosis, is a tick-borne illness caused by Borrelia bacteria transmitted via Ixodes ticks. A characteristic symptom is erythema migrans (EM), an expanding red rash appearing around the bite site, often accompanied by fever, headache, and fatigue. Early diagnosis can be difficult. If untreated, Lyme disease can lead to facial palsy, joint pain, severe headaches, heart palpitations, and, months to years later, recurring joint pain and neurological issues like shooting pains. Prompt diagnosis and treatment are essential to prevent the progression of the disease and long-term complications.

1909: Afzelius Presents Erythema Migrans Study

At a 1909 research conference, Swedish dermatologist Arvid Afzelius presented a study about an expanding, ring-like lesion he had observed in an older woman following the bite of a sheep tick. He named the lesion erythema migrans.

1911: Description of Borrelial Lymphocytoma

In 1911, the skin condition now known as borrelial lymphocytoma was first described.

1930: Hellerström Proposes EM and Neurological Symptoms are Related

In 1930, the Swedish dermatologist Sven Hellerström was the first to propose EM and neurological symptoms following a tick bite were related.

1946: Experiments on EM Treatment

Starting in 1946, facilities in Sweden experimented with treating EM rashes with substances known to kill spirochetes, finding that "penicillin was found to be the most effective."

1948: Lennhoff's Research on Spirochetes

In 1948, Carl Lennhoff published on his use of a special stain to microscopically observe what he believed were spirochetes in various types of skin lesions, including EM, although his conclusions were later shown to be erroneous.

1949: First Treatment of ACA with Penicillin

In 1949, Nils Thyresson was the first to treat ACA with penicillin at the Karolinska Institute.

1950: Hellerström's paper reprinted

In 1950, Hellerström's paper on EM lesion was reprinted in an American science journal. This paper was recalled in 1970 by Rudolph Scrimenti, a dermatologist in Wisconsin, who recognized an EM lesion in a person after reading the paper.

1970: First documented case of EM in the United States

In 1970, Rudolph Scrimenti, a dermatologist in Wisconsin, recognized an EM lesion in a person after recalling a paper by Hellerström that had been reprinted in an American science journal in 1950. Scrimenti's case was the first documented case of EM in the United States, and he treated the person with penicillin based on European literature.

1975: First Diagnosis of Lyme Disease

In 1975, Lyme disease was diagnosed as a separate condition for the first time in Lyme, Connecticut.

1975: First Diagnosis in Lyme, Connecticut

In 1975, Lyme disease was diagnosed as a separate condition for the first time in Lyme, Connecticut. Initially, it was mistaken for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

1976: Lyme disease nomenclature

Since 1976, the disease is most often referred to as Lyme disease, Lyme borreliosis or simply borreliosis, formerly known as tick-borne meningopolyneuritis, Garin-Bujadoux syndrome, Bannwarth syndrome, Afzelius's disease, Montauk Knee or sheep tick fever.

1980: Steere begins testing antibiotic regimens and Benach provides ticks to Burgdorfer

In 1980, Steere, et al., began testing antibiotic regimens in adults with Lyme disease. Also in 1980, New York State Health Dept. epidemiologist Jorge Benach provided Willy Burgdorfer with collections of I. dammini [scapularis] from Shelter Island, New York, to investigate Rocky Mountain spotted fever, leading to Burgdorfer's discovery of spirochetes in the ticks.

1981: Discovery of the Bacterium

In 1981, Willy Burgdorfer first described the bacterium involved in Lyme disease.

June 1982: Burgdorfer publishes discovery of Borrelia burgdorferi

In June 1982, Willy Burgdorfer published his findings in Science, identifying the spirochete found in ticks as the causative agent of Lyme disease. The spirochete was named Borrelia burgdorferi in his honor.

1986: Voluntary Reporting Introduced in the UK

In 1986, voluntary reporting of Lyme disease cases was introduced in the UK and Ireland combined, with 68 cases recorded.

1987: Identification of B. burgdorferi in tick saliva

In 1987, B. burgdorferi spirochetes were identified in tick saliva, confirming the hypothesis that transmission occurred via tick salivary glands.

1988: Confirmed Cases in the UK

In the UK there were 23 confirmed cases in 1988.

1989: Seropositivity Among Forestry Workers

A 1989 report found that 25% of forestry workers in the New Forest were seropositive for Lyme disease, as were between 2% and 4–5% of the general local population of the area.

January 1990: Lyme Disease Becomes Notifiable in Scotland

Since January 1990, Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi infection) has been a notifiable disease in Scotland, requiring reporting based on clinical suspicion.

1990: Confirmed Cases in the UK

In the UK there were 19 confirmed cases in 1990.

1991: CDC Implements National Surveillance

In 1991, the CDC implemented national surveillance of Lyme disease cases.

1992: Jaenson's Observations on Deer as Reservoirs

In 1992, Jaenson et al. suggested that the European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) does not serve as a major reservoir of B. burgdorferi but is important for feeding ticks.

1992: First Reported Case of BYS in Brazil

The first reported case of Baggio–Yoshinari syndrome (BYS) in Brazil was made in 1992 in Cotia, São Paulo.

December 1998: FDA Approval of LYMErix

On December 21, 1998, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved LYMErix for persons of ages 15 through 70, based on clinical trials.

1998: LYMErix Availability

In 1998, LYMErix, the only human vaccine to advance to market, became available.

1999: Cases Reported Between 1999 and 2000

Borrelia burgdorferi infections are endemic to Mexico, with four cases reported between 1999 and 2000.

2000: Cases Reported Between 1999 and 2000

Borrelia burgdorferi infections are endemic to Mexico, from four cases reported between 1999 and 2000.

February 2002: Withdrawal of LYMErix from the US Market

In February 2002, GlaxoSmithKline withdrew LYMErix from the U.S. market due to negative media coverage and fears of vaccine side effects, despite the lack of evidence that the complaints were caused by the vaccine.

2002: LYMErix Discontinuation

In 2002, LYMErix was discontinued.

2002: LYMErix Availability Ends

The vaccine LYMErix was available from 1998 to 2002.

2003: Researchers postulate the dilution effect

In 2003, some researchers began to postulate whether the so called dilution effect could mitigate the spread of Lyme disease. The dilution effect is a hypothesis that predicts that an increase in host biodiversity will result in a decrease in the number of vectors infected with B. burgdorferi.

2004: Publication of Lab 257

In 2004, the discredited book Lab 257: The Disturbing Story of the Government's Secret Plum Island Germ Laboratory fueled conspiracy theories alleging that Lyme disease was a biological weapon originating from Plum Island laboratory.

2005: Climate Suitability Modeling Study

A 2005 study using climate suitability modelling of I. scapularis projected that climate change would cause an overall 213% increase in suitable vector habitat by 2080.

2005: Lyme Disease Cases in the United States

In 2005, the ratio of Lyme disease infection was 7.9 cases for every 100,000 persons reported to the United States CDC. In the ten states where Lyme disease is most common, the average was 31.6 cases for every 100,000 persons.

2007: Study Suggests Endemic Infections in Mexico

A 2007 study suggests Borrelia burgdorferi infections are endemic to Mexico.

2008: Review of Environmental Correlates

A 2008 review of published studies concluded that the presence of forests or forested areas was the only variable that consistently elevated the risk of Lyme disease.

2008: Release of Under Our Skin documentary

The 2008 documentary Under Our Skin is known for promoting controversial and unrecognized theories about "chronic Lyme disease".

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2009: Confirmed Cases in the UK

In the UK there were 973 confirmed cases in 2009.

2009: Tick Infection Rates in the UK

Tests on pet dogs carried out throughout the country in 2009 indicated that around 2.5% of ticks in the UK may be infected with Lyme disease, which is considerably higher than previously thought.

October 2010: Mandatory Reporting Introduced in the UK

In October 2010, mandatory reporting, limited to laboratory test results only, was introduced throughout the UK under the Health Protection (Notification) Regulations 2010.

2010: Confirmed Cases in the UK

In the UK there were 953 confirmed cases in 2010.

2010: Detection of Borrelia in Ötzi the Iceman

The 2010 autopsy of Ötzi the Iceman, a 5,300-year-old mummy, revealed the presence of the DNA sequence of Borrelia burgdorferi, making him the earliest known human with Lyme disease.

2011: Increase in Lyme Disease Cases

Provisional figures for the first 3 quarters of 2011 show a 26% increase on the same period in 2010.

2012: Model-Based Prediction of Tick Range Expansion

A model-based prediction by Leighton et al. in 2012 suggested that the range of the I. scapularis tick will expand into Canada by 46 km/year over the next decade.

July 2017: FDA Fast Track Designation for VLA15

In July 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted fast track designation to the hexavalent (OspA) protein subunit-based vaccine candidate VLA15.

2018: Dilution effect disproved in some regions

As of 2018, the dilution effect is only supported in the Northeastern United States and has been disproved in other parts of the world that also experience high Lyme disease incidence rates.

April 2020: Pfizer Acquires Rights to VLA15

In April 2020, Pfizer paid $130 million for the rights to the vaccine VLA15, and began developing it with Valneva, performing multiple phase 2 trials.

2022: Planned Phase 3 Trial of VLA15

In 2022, a phase 3 trial of VLA15 was scheduled, involving volunteers at test sites across the northeastern United States and in Europe. Participants were scheduled to receive an initial three-dose series of vaccines, followed by a booster dose.