Lyme disease was first identified in 1975 after a number of cases occurred in a town called Old Lyme, in Connecticut, USA. However, it is not a new disease and it has been known in Europe under different names since the 19th century. Lyme disease is found in a wide range of places including parts of Europe, North America, the former USSR, China and Japan.

Lyme disease is caused by infection with spiral bacteria called 'Borrelia burgdorferi'. The bacteria are spread by infected ticks (small, blood sucking ectoparasites) when they attach to your skin and feed on your blood.

Ticks are usually found in places such as forests and heath land, so the infection is most likely to be caught in these areas. However, they can also be found in some parks. Ticks are very small (about the size of a poppy seed) and can easily be overlooked. Late spring, early summer and autumn are the most likely times for infection, as these are the peak times of the year for tick feeding. Most ticks are not infected with the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. Even if a tick is infected, it does not spread the bacteria in the first few hours of its feed, so there is a very low risk of infection if a tick is removed quickly.

A tick bite usually looks like a lump with a small scab on the skin surface at the site of the bite. Most people with Lyme disease then develop a reddish skin rash in a ring shape, and this may be the only sign of infection. The rash spreads out from the site of a bite after 3 to 30 days. Other common symptoms with early Lyme disease include tiredness, headache, joint pains, and flu-like symptoms.

Without treatment, these symptoms may last for weeks or even longer. Rarely, there are serious complications, and in some cases, these can occur several years later.

Early detection and treatment of the disease helps to relieve the symptoms and shorten the illness. For this reason, it is important to be aware of the symptoms, particularly the rash, so that treatment can be given early.