Lyme disease can be spread to humans through a bite from a tick. Lyme disease is rare, infecting less than 1% of people who get tick bites.

Lyme disease gets its name from a town in Connecticut, U.S., where it was first discovered in the 1970s. If you’re bitten by one of these small insects that feed on blood, you may develop spirochetes (a type of spiral bacteria), which can lead to a range of Lyme disease symptoms.

Lyme disease is caused by a type of bacteria called a spirochete. A tick can become infected by this spirochete bacteria by consuming the blood of small animals that host it. 

To transmit Lyme disease, a tick infected with spirochete must remain attached to a person’s skin for 24-36 hours.

Lyme disease can be difficult to diagnose. Approximately 8 out of 10 people will develop a rash in a bulls-eye pattern. Other early Lyme disease symptoms include:

• Fatigue
• Headaches 
• Sore muscles and joints
• Loss of appetite
• Swollen lymph nodes