Lyme Disease is an infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, a member of the family of corkscrew-shaped bacteria known as spirochetes and is transmitted by ticks.

Lyme Disease was recognized in Sweden as long ago as 1908. It was first identified in the United States in 1975, after a mysterious outbreak of arthritis among the residents of Lyme, Connecticut. Since then, reports of Lyme disease have increased dramatically, and the disease has become an important public health problem in some areas of the United States.