A tick-borne bacterial infection (Lyme disease) that can cause fever, headache, fatigue, and characteristic skin rash.
Named after Lyme, Connecticut, where the disease was first identified in 1975 following an outbreak of mysterious arthritis-like symptoms in children. The town's name comes from Lyme Regis in England, itself named from the Old English 'hlim' meaning lime tree.
Lyme disease shows how modern life can awaken ancient threats - the bacteria has probably infected humans for millennia, but suburban sprawl into tick habitats made it a recognized epidemic. The disease's discovery also revolutionized our understanding of how infections can cause long-term autoimmune responses.
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