Is Lyme Disease New? What History Reveals About an Ancient Infection
Is Lyme disease new? Although Lyme disease was first recognized in Connecticut in the 1970s, evidence suggests the bacteria responsible for the illness have existed for thousands — and possibly millions — of years.
Lyme disease is not a newly created illness—it is an ancient infection only recently recognized by modern medicine.
Scientists have identified Lyme-like bacteria in ancient ticks preserved in amber and even in the DNA of a 5,300-year-old human known as Ötzi the Iceman.
These discoveries suggest that tick-borne infections long predate modern medicine.
The long evolutionary history of tick-borne illness helps explain why these infections continue to challenge physicians today — a theme explored further in Why Lyme Disease Tests the Limits of Medicine.
Ancient Ticks Suggest Lyme Bacteria May Be Millions of Years Old
In an accidental discovery, Professor George Poinar Jr., a palaeoentomologist and parasitologist, identified ticks preserved in amber estimated to be between 15 and 20 million years old.
What he saw was astonishing: tiny fossilized ticks with ancient bacteria trapped inside.
Poinar found spirochete-like cells of Palaeoborrelia dominicana in one of four ticks (Amblyomma species) preserved in amber.
He could not attempt DNA analysis because doing so would destroy the specimen. However, the bacteria’s morphology and location within the tick’s digestive tract suggest ties to modern Borrelia species.
These findings indicate that tick-borne spirochetes related to Lyme disease may have existed millions of years before humans appeared.
Evidence of Lyme Bacteria in a 5,300-Year-Old Human
Another remarkable discovery dates Lyme bacteria back at least 5,300 years.
Researchers from McMaster University examined the tissues of a man found frozen in the Italian Alps, commonly known as Ötzi the Iceman.
Genome sequencing revealed genetic material from Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium responsible for Lyme disease.
This discovery shows that humans were infected with Lyme-related bacteria thousands of years before the disease was formally recognized.
According to Poinar, ticks have likely transmitted spirochete infections throughout human history.
“I’m sure that our human ancestors suffered from ailments caused by spirochetes carried by ticks.”
If Lyme Disease Is Ancient, Why Was It Recognized Only Recently?
Although Lyme bacteria have existed for thousands of years, Lyme disease was not identified as a distinct illness until the 1970s.
Its modern discovery began with the concern of two mothers from Old Lyme, Connecticut.
In November 1975, one mother informed the Connecticut State Health Department that 12 children in the community had been diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
Another mother soon reported that multiple members of her family and neighbors were experiencing similar symptoms.
These reports prompted an investigation led by Dr. Alan Steere and colleagues.
The First Cluster of Lyme Disease Cases
Steere and colleagues studied 51 residents from three nearby Connecticut communities — 39 children and 12 adults — who developed recurrent attacks of swelling and pain in large joints, especially the knee.
Several adults also described symptoms beyond arthritis, including:
- severe headaches
- facial swelling
- skin rashes
- swelling of the hands or feet
- profound fatigue
Recurrences and remission were common. Episodes often lasted about a week but were separated by months of remission.
The unpredictable nature of the illness puzzled physicians.
In 1982, Dr. Willy Burgdorfer identified the spirochete responsible for the illness.
The bacterium was later named Borrelia burgdorferi in his honor.
A Growing “Pandora’s Box” of Borrelia Species
Since the discovery of Lyme disease, researchers have identified an expanding number of pathogenic Borrelia species.
- Borrelia garinii
- Borrelia afzelii
- Borrelia mayonii
- Borrelia bissettii
- Borrelia americana
- Borrelia andersonii
- Borrelia miyamotoi
Researchers have also identified additional tick-borne pathogens and co-infections carried by the same ticks.
This expanding understanding of tick-borne infections helps explain why Lyme disease can evolve slowly and affect multiple organ systems.
Symptoms may appear gradually, disappear, and return months later.
For a deeper discussion of this pattern, see Tick-Borne Illnesses and the Tortoise and the Hare.
Why Lyme Disease Continues to Challenge Medicine
Studies have documented neurologic, cognitive, psychiatric, and quality-of-life impairments associated with Lyme disease and related tick-borne illnesses.
Researchers have described memory problems, fatigue, sleep disruption, mood changes, neuropathy, and impaired physical functioning in some patients.
Persistent symptoms following treatment have also been described in a subset of patients diagnosed with post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS).
This long evolutionary history may help explain why Lyme disease remains difficult to diagnose and manage in some individuals.
FAQ
Is Lyme disease a new illness?
No. Lyme disease was only formally recognized in the 1970s, but evidence suggests Lyme-related bacteria existed thousands or even millions of years earlier.
Was Lyme disease found in ancient humans?
Yes. Genetic material from Borrelia burgdorferi was identified in Ötzi the Iceman, a 5,300-year-old mummy discovered in the Italian Alps.
Why was Lyme disease recognized only recently?
The disease was formally identified after clusters of unexplained arthritis and systemic illness were investigated in Connecticut during the 1970s.
Clinical Takeaway
Lyme disease may feel like a modern epidemic, but evidence suggests it is an ancient infection only recently recognized by medicine.
Its long evolutionary history may help explain why Lyme disease can involve multiple organ systems, fluctuate over time, and continue to challenge diagnosis and treatment today.
Related Articles
- Why Lyme Disease Tests the Limits of Medicine
- Tick-Borne Illnesses and the Tortoise and the Hare
- Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome
- Why Lyme Symptoms Come and Go
References
- Nuwer R. Lyme bacterium’s possible ancestor found in ancient tick. Nature. 2014.
- Poinar G Jr, Brown AE. A new genus of hard ticks in Cretaceous Burmese amber. Syst Parasitol. 2003;54(3):199-205.
- Kean WF, Tocchio S, Kean M, Rainsford KD. The musculoskeletal abnormalities of the Similaun Iceman (“OTZI”). Inflammopharmacology. 2012.
- Steere AC, Malawista SE, Snydman DR, et al. Lyme arthritis: an epidemic of oligoarticular arthritis in children and adults in three Connecticut communities. Arthritis Rheum. 1977;20(1):7-17.
- Burgdorfer W, Barbour AG, Hayes SF, et al. Lyme disease-a tick-borne spirochetosis? Science. 1982;216(4552):1317-1319.
- Scott JD. Borrelia mayonii: prying open Pandora’s box of spirochetes. Lancet Infect Dis. 2016;16(6):637.
- Logigian EL, Kaplan RF, Steere AC. Chronic neurologic manifestations of Lyme disease. N Engl J Med. 1990;323(21):1438-1444.
- Fallon BA, Keilp JG, Corbera KM, et al. A randomized, placebo-controlled trial of repeated IV antibiotic therapy for Lyme encephalopathy. Neurology. 2008;70(13):992-1003.
- Aucott JN, Rebman AW, Crowder LA, Kortte KB. Post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome symptomatology and the impact on life functioning. Qual Life Res. 2013;22(1):75-84.
Dr. Daniel Cameron, MD, MPH
Lyme disease clinician with over 30 years of experience and past president of ILADS.
Symptoms • Testing • Coinfections • Recovery • Pediatric • Prevention
