At a research conference in 1909, 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, naming the lesion erythema migrans.
In 1911, the skin condition now known as borrelial lymphocytoma was first described.
In 1930, Swedish dermatologist Sven Hellerström was the first to propose that erythema migrans (EM) and neurological symptoms following a tick bite were related.
Starting in 1946, facilities in Sweden experimented with treating erythema migrans (EM) rashes with substances known to kill 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.
In 1949, Nils Thyresson was the first to treat ACA (Acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans) with penicillin.
In 1950, a paper by Hellerström was reprinted in an American science journal, which later led to the first documented case of EM in the United States in 1970.
In 1970, Rudolph Scrimenti recognized an EM lesion in a person after recalling a paper by Hellerström, marking the first documented case of EM in the United States, and he treated the person with penicillin.
In 1975, Lyme disease was diagnosed as a separate condition for the first time in Lyme, Connecticut.
In 1975, a cluster of cases initially thought to be juvenile rheumatoid arthritis was identified in Lyme and Old Lyme, Connecticut. This led to the recognition of the syndrome now known as Lyme disease, investigated by physicians and researchers from the Epidemic Intelligence Service and Yale University.
Since 1976 the disease is most often referred to as Lyme disease, Lyme borreliosis or simply borreliosis.
In 1980, Allen Steere et al. started testing antibiotic regimens on adults with Lyme disease. Also in 1980, Jorge Benach provided Willy Burgdorfer with I. dammini ticks from Shelter Island, New York, leading to Burgdorfer's discovery of spirochetes in the ticks.
In June 1982, Willy Burgdorfer published his findings in Science, identifying spirochetes in ticks and people with Lyme disease. The spirochete was subsequently named Borrelia burgdorferi in his honor.
In 1986 voluntary reporting of Lyme disease was introduced in the UK, when 68 cases were recorded in the UK and Ireland combined.
In 1987, B. burgdorferi spirochetes were identified in tick saliva, which confirmed that transmission occurred via tick salivary glands.
In 1988, there were 23 confirmed cases of Lyme disease in the UK.
A 1989 report found that 25% of forestry workers in the New Forest were seropositive for Lyme disease.
In 1990, there were 19 confirmed cases of Lyme disease in the UK.
In 1991, the CDC implemented national surveillance of Lyme disease cases.
In 1992, Jaenson & al. researched the European roe deer and suggested that it did not appear to serve as a major reservoir of B. burgdorferi.
In 1992, the first reported case of Baggio–Yoshinari syndrome (BYS) in Brazil was made in Cotia, São Paulo.
On December 21, 1998, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved LYMErix for persons of ages 15 through 70.
In 1998, the LYMErix vaccine became available to the public.
Between 1999 and 2000, there were four reported cases of Lyme disease in Mexico.
Between 1999 and 2000, there were four reported cases of Lyme disease in Mexico.
In February 2002, GlaxoSmithKline withdrew LYMErix from the U.S. market due to negative media coverage and fears of vaccine side effects.
In 2002, the LYMErix vaccine was discontinued.
In 2003, some researchers began to postulate that the dilution effect could mitigate the spread of Lyme disease.
In 2004, the 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 in the Plum Island laboratory.
A 2005 study projected that climate change would cause an overall 213% increase in suitable vector habitat by 2080.
In 2005, the average rate of Lyme disease infection in the ten most affected states in the United States was 31.6 cases for every 100,000 persons.
A 2007 study suggests Borrelia burgdorferi infections are endemic to Mexico, based on four cases reported between 1999 and 2000.
In 2008, a 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.
In 2008, the documentary Under Our Skin promoted controversial and unrecognized theories about "chronic Lyme disease".
In 2009, there were 973 confirmed cases of Lyme disease 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.
In 2010, mandatory reporting, limited to laboratory test results only, is required in the UK under the provisions of the Health Protection (Notification) Regulations 2010.
In 2010, there were 953 confirmed cases of Lyme disease in the UK.
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.
Provisional figures for the first 3 quarters of 2011 showed a 26% increase on the same period in 2010.
In 2012, a model-based prediction suggested that the range of the I. scapularis tick will expand into Canada by 46 km/year over the next decade.
In July 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted fast track designation to Valneva's hexavalent (OspA) protein subunit-based vaccine candidate VLA15.
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
In April 2020, Pfizer paid $130 million for the rights to the VLA15 vaccine.
A phase 3 trial of VLA15 was scheduled for late 2022, recruiting volunteers across the northeastern United States and in Europe.
In 2022, the surveillance case definition classifies cases as confirmed, probable, and suspect.
In the third quarter of 2022, the vaccine candidate VLA15 was scheduled to start a phase 3 trial.
As of 2023, clinical trials of proposed human vaccines for Lyme disease were underway, but no vaccine was available to the public. There are, however, several vaccines available for the prevention of Lyme disease in dogs.
As of 2023, no human vaccines for Lyme disease were available to the public.
In 2023, a review found that Post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS) and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) had similar pathogenesis despite different infectious origins.
A 2024 analysis concluded that evidence to connect BYS to Borrelia bacteria was lacking.
In 2024, conspiracy theories about the origins of Lyme disease were further spread due to attention from Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
In 2025, conspiracy theories about the origins of Lyme disease were further spread due to attention from Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
A 2005 study projected that by 2080, climate change would cause an overall 213% increase in suitable vector habitat.
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