Most Viral Host Ranges Are Narrow. The fact that the host range â the group of cell types that a virus can infect â is generally restricted serves as a basis for classifying viruses. A virus that infects only bacteria is called a bacteriophage, or simply a phage.
In 1981, a scientist who was studying Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (also caused by a tick bite) began to study Lyme disease. This scientist, Willy Burgdorfer, found the connection between the deer tick and the disease. He discovered that a bacterium called a spirochete, carried by ticks, was causing Lyme.The medical community honored Dr. Burgdorferâs discovery in 1982 by naming the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi.istory of Lyme Disease. Ticks and Lyme disease have been around for thousands of years. In fact, a recent autopsy on a 5,300-year-old mummy indicated the presence of the bacteria which causes Lyme disease.
Lyme disease, also known as Lyme borreliosis, is an infectious disease caused by bacteria of the Borrelia type. The most common sign of infection is an expanding area of redness, known as erythema migrans, that begins at the site of a tick bite about a week after it has occurred.yme disease is the most common disease spread by ticks in the Northern Hemisphere. It is estimated to affect 300,000 people a year in the United States and 65,000 people a year in Europe. Infections are most common in the spring and early summer.