Amber discovery indicates Lyme disease is older than human race

[Guest LilBambi]

Amber discovery indicates Lyme disease is older than human race - PhysOrg

 

Lyme disease is a stealthy, often misdiagnosed disease that was only recognized about 40 years ago, but new discoveries of ticks fossilized in amber show that the bacteria which cause it may have been lurking around for 15 million years – long before any humans walked on Earth.

 

The findings were made by researchers from Oregon State University, who studied 15-20 million-year-old amber from the Dominican Republic that offer the oldest fossil evidence ever found of Borrelia, a type of spirochete-like bacteria that to this day causes Lyme disease. They were published in the journal Historical Biology.

 

More in the article.

[Cluttermagnet]

Thanks, Fran- very interesting! I'll share the article with Betty, as she is pretty scared of Lyme. Fortunately she's never had it. But it's made her a bit outdoors phobic.

[Guest LilBambi]

Yes, good idea David. As you may have noted elsewhere here, my Jim has had Chronic Lyme disease since April 2007 when he was bit by a tick and got the bullseye rash, got antibiotics, had an allergic reaction and end in the emergency room with high blood pressure through the roof and has been in the hospital for two 8-day stints on two IV antibiotics. Every day is a new adventure...