new lyme species detected in Canada

"Then in early November (2016) the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) and Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) confirmed that three ticks collected in British Columbia since June have tested positive for a new species of bacteria closely related to Borrelia mayonii (B. mayonii).
“This is a rare discovery which highlights that our tick surveillance program is working at both a local and national level,” said Dr. Eleni Galanis, physician epidemiologist with the BCCDC. “While further investigation is warranted, the health threat posed by this new species of bacteria is extremely low.”
Borrelia mayonii is a newly-discovered species of bacteria that can cause Lyme disease in people. Until now, it had only been confirmed in the Midwestern United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States, six of approximately 9,000 diagnostic samples from residents of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota revealed the presence of B. mayonii.

The fact that new species of Borrelia are appearing seems to only be a surprise to the experts who have argued that Lyme is hard to catch and easy to treat. Others, like expert Richard Horowitz, claim that there are over a hundred strains in the US and double that world-wide.

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