Borrelia miyamotoi: What you need to know about this ‘New Lyme Disease’

The tick-borne Lyme disease, also known as Lyme borreliosis, continues to be one of the most problematic infections in the United States, ranking fifth in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) list of nationally notifiable diseases. The recent infection of well-known public figures such as music artist Avril Lavigne and fashion model Bella Hadid has helped brought much needed attention to the spread of the debilitating disease. While Lyme disease remains an imminent threat to public health, scientists have discovered a new infectious disease that shares similar symptoms to Lyme borreliosis. The new illness is caused by the bacteria known as Borrelia miyamotoi and has been found to be more resistant to antibiotic treatment. It is also transmitted through insect bites from ticks. “We know this new disease, caused by the recently identified bacteria Borrelia miyamotoi is in the U.K.,” Stella Huyshe-Shires, a representative from the group Lyme Disease Action, said. “To date...