Lyme disease 101
Lyme disease is a common infectious disorder that causes pain, fatigue, and muscle aches. It’s caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, a bacterium that is transmitted to humans via the bite of infected blacklegged ticks. White-footed mice and other small woodland mammals are the main carriers of Lyme. White-tailed deer also act as hosts for disease-carrying ticks, but the quadrupeds don’t become sick with the disease.
Researchers estimate that more than 14% of the global population has contracted Lyme at some point. It can be debilitating, but it’s treatable with antibiotics. First reported in 1975 among patients in Lyme, Connecticut, the disease can be hard to detect unless a patient develops and notices a skin rash. In the US, the economic burden of the disease is around $1B annually.
As of early 2026, a potential Lyme vaccine was in late-stage clinical trials, and other efforts to slash the disease include a Massachusetts-based research project—first proposed for a trial on a private island—to genetically engineer mice using CRISPR to become immune to Lyme and then pass that trait on to their offspring.
