BACTERIA

The history of Lyme Borreliosis

Lyme disease is a zoonosis: it affects both humans and animals. It is also a vector-borne disease, transmitted by the tick Borrelia burgdorferi. In this sense, it is infectious. It is the most common tick disease in France. It can affect many organs as well as different systems in the body. Thus, its clinical manifestations take many forms. They can be rheumatological, neurological or cutaneous. Lyme Borreliosis is said to be multi-systemic.

The origins of Lyme Borreliosis

Lyme borreliosis was recognised in the United States in 1977 in the Lyme district on the east coast of the United States in Connecticut. An epidemic of arthritis wreaked havoc on children, which led doctors at Yale University to conduct research. Thus, tick bites, erythema migrans and arthritis were combined to form Lyme disease. The various researches carried out have shown that this complex disease has existed for a long time. It is believed to have been present in North America for at least 60,000 years, even before the continent was inhabited. The first man infected with Borrelia burgdorferi was Ötzi. This claim is supported by analyses of the remains of bacterial DNA on his corpse. The infection took place about 5300 years ago. The manifestations of the disease in the USA are the same as those described in Europe towards the end of the 19th century. Lyme Borreliosis is believed to have emerged as a result of man-made disturbances of ecosystems. The existence and presence of humans would be the first factor in the occurrence of these complications.

Borreliosis of Lyme from 1883 to 1970

Lyme Borreliosis has been in constant evolution since 1883. In that year, a German doctor noticed a dermatological abnormality in a patient following the bite of a tick and made a description of it. In 1909, a Swiss dermatologist named Afzelius described a skin reaction to the bite of Ixodes ticks. The German physician Lipschütz suggested calling this reaction Erythema Chrnicum migrants. In 1922, French doctors Garin and Bujadous thought that tick bites could cause paralysis. In 1930, the Swede Hellerström proves the link between erythema and certain meningitis. In 1948, the German Lennhoff observed biopsies. He thus made the discovery of spirochete bacteria. In 1949, the doctor used penicillin to treat patients bitten by ticks and infected with acrodermatitis. The effectiveness of the treatment was confirmed. In 1955, Binder&co demonstrate the possibility of transmission of an agent sensitive to penicillin by Ixodes ricinus ticks. In 1970, an epidemic of rheumatoid arthritis broke out in Old Lyme and many children had joint problems.

The US government's response to the epidemic

In 1975, Connecticut State Health was alerted by a woman with joint pain whose children had also contracted the same disease. This prompted a reaction from the US government. D. Snydman of the Epidemic Intelligence Service was sent to the scene to study the list of all those suffering. To do this, he gets help from a rheumatologist at Harvard called A. Steere. In the same year, Steere began his investigations. The bite of a tick and the development of an erythema, as in Europe, are the common features of the patients' statements. Analyses at the time show nothing alarming. It was in 1977 that Steere demonstrated a link between arthritis and erythema. He published it in the Annal of Internal Medicine, also mentioning neurological and cardiac concerns detected in patients. Research is progressing. In 1979, Lyme arthritis became Lyme Borreliosis. The damage to the heart and nervous system was confirmed. In 1982, at Steere's request, William Burgdofer researched the probable bacterial causes of Lyme disease. He discovered spirochetes in the digestive tract of the Ixodes Scapularis and published it in Science. In 1983, Steere provided evidence that spirochetes are responsible for Lyme Borreliosis. The bacteria were given the name Borrelia burgdorferi in 1984.

Progress in Lyme Borreliosis research from 1998 to 2017

A vaccine against Lyme Borreliosis was launched on the American market in 1998. Its long-term effects have not been confirmed. Not too effective and the cause of many complaints, it was withdrawn from sale in 2002. 2006 is the year of the first recommendations on Lyme disease. It is the IDSA or Infectious Diseases Society of America that publishes them. The results of tests for Borrelia are confirmed, as well as the recommended antibiotic treatment. However, conflicts of interest have arisen between some doctors. A consensus conference on Lyme disease is organised in France by the Société des Pathologies en langue française. The same conclusions as those of the IDSA were put forward in Medicine and Infectious Diseases in 2007. The association France Lyme was created in 2008. In 2012 the association Lyme sans Frontières was created. The HSCP publishes a report on Lyme Borreliosis the same year. New clinical trials for a vaccine are launched in 2016 by the Valnéva laboratory. In 2016, a number of lawsuits are filed against various perpetrators. A world conference on the disease is organised by ILADS in Paris.