In 1982, researchers at the Rocky Mountain Laboratories identified a spirochete in the tick Ixodes dammini, which is suspected to be the cause of Lyme disease. The spirochete was isolated from infected ticks and shown to cause skin lesions in New Zealand White rabbits. Serum samples from patients with Lyme disease contained antibodies to this spirochete, suggesting a causal relationship. The spirochete was found in the midgut of I. dammini ticks, and its morphology and structure were similar to those of Treponema species. The spirochete could be cultured in the laboratory and was shown to be antigenically related to the etiologic agent of Lyme disease. The study also demonstrated the potential of indirect immunofluorescence as a diagnostic tool for Lyme disease. The findings suggest that the spirochete isolated from I. dammini may be involved in the etiology of Lyme disease. The study also highlights the need for further research into the epidemiology and ecology of Lyme disease and related disorders. The research team included Willy Burgdorfer, Alan G. Barbour, Stanley F. Hayes, Jorge L. Benach, Edgar Grunwaldt, and Jeffrey P. Davis. The study was published in Science and is available online.In 1982, researchers at the Rocky Mountain Laboratories identified a spirochete in the tick Ixodes dammini, which is suspected to be the cause of Lyme disease. The spirochete was isolated from infected ticks and shown to cause skin lesions in New Zealand White rabbits. Serum samples from patients with Lyme disease contained antibodies to this spirochete, suggesting a causal relationship. The spirochete was found in the midgut of I. dammini ticks, and its morphology and structure were similar to those of Treponema species. The spirochete could be cultured in the laboratory and was shown to be antigenically related to the etiologic agent of Lyme disease. The study also demonstrated the potential of indirect immunofluorescence as a diagnostic tool for Lyme disease. The findings suggest that the spirochete isolated from I. dammini may be involved in the etiology of Lyme disease. The study also highlights the need for further research into the epidemiology and ecology of Lyme disease and related disorders. The research team included Willy Burgdorfer, Alan G. Barbour, Stanley F. Hayes, Jorge L. Benach, Edgar Grunwaldt, and Jeffrey P. Davis. The study was published in Science and is available online.