According to the Yale News website, researchers have reported the first data on the frequency of a new tick-borne infection, caused by the bacterium Borrelia miyamotoi (also referred to as B. miyamotoi). Using an antibody test, the researchers found that about 4% of 639 healthy people in southern New England showed evidence of previous B. miyamotoi infection. This compares to about 10% showing evidence of previous Lyme infection.
B. miyamotoi, found in black-legged ticks, causes an infection with many similar symptoms to Lyme disease. The researchers concluded that the antibody test for the agent that causes Lyme disease is not effective for detecting the new infection.
The researchers were from the Yale Schools of Public Health and Medicine as well as New York Medical College and the University of California-Irvine.
