History of Lyme Disease

1883

• The European Lyme disease skin condition was described in Germany.

1894

• A researcher stored mice in a Massachusetts museum. About 100 years later, Bb bacteria were found on the mouse pelts.

1960’s

• Polly Murray in Old Lyme, Connecticut began documenting symptoms in her family of what later became known as Lyme disease.

1967

• A doctor in Germany reported that, although most Lyme disease is caused by ticks, about 10% of patients were getting the disease from horseflies.

1975

• Polly Murray contacted Yale to report illness in her family and neighbors in Lyme and Old Lyme, Connecticut.

1981

• While examining ticks, Willy Burgdorfer discovered the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria that causes Lyme disease.