Member-only story
The Nuance
Why Scientists Still Disagree About Lyme Disease
More Americans have the disease than ever, but its scope and symptoms remain controversial
Every week, the Nuance will go beyond the basics, offering a deep and researched look at the latest science and expert insights on a buzzed-about health topic.
Not long ago, Lyme disease was considered both uncommon and easy to treat. People who suffered a tick bite and developed the disease’s hallmarks — an inflamed skin lesion, followed by fever, muscle aches, and fatigue — were treated with antibiotics and deemed cured. Complaints about lingering complications were largely disregarded or attributed to other non-Lyme causes.
Much has changed. As North America’s black-legged tick populations have increased, rates of the bacterial infections they transmit — Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, to name two — have likewise exploded. Over the past 13 years, the number of reported tick-borne diseases has roughly doubled in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC).
Lyme disease is by far the most common tick-transmitted illness. And due to underreporting and diagnostic challenges, it’s possible that hundreds of thousands of people are now infected…
