Early symptoms of Lyme disease as rare type found for first time in US state

Here are the symptoms of Lyme disease to be aware of after a rare variant of the health condition was found in New York for the first time.

It's estimated that there are 476,000 new cases of Lyme disease in the US every single year, which you can get Lyme disease from the bite of an infected tick.

The majority of Lyme disease cases are caused by bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi, though it can also be as a result of Borrelia mayonii, a rarer bacterium that's only been detected in Minnesota and Wisconsin thus far.

However, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report published this week said a case of B. mayonii Lyme disease was detected in New York last July.

It was an adult living in Herkimer County who was infected, with the report stating the individual hadn't recently traveled.

The case was the first of its kind in the state (Getty Stock Photo)

A subsequent State Department investigation uncovered a handful of ticks on a wooded property belonging to the infected person. It tested positive for the bacterium, though a much wider search of 1,500 ticks from 24 New York counties did not find anything of concern, suggesting this infection is an isolated incident.

Symptoms of Lyme disease

Early symptoms of Lyme disease can start anywhere between three to 30 days after being bitten by a tick. One of the most common early symptoms is a circular rash around the area you've been bitten.

Mayo Clinic explains how there are three stages to the condition.

Stage one will see symptoms such as a fever, headache, extreme tiredness, joint stiffness, muscle aches and pains, and swollen lymph nodes.

As Lyme disease progresses into stage two, symptoms include all of the above, on top of: rashes on different parts of the body, neck pain and stiffness, muscle weakness on one or both sides of the face, irregular heartbeats, pain that starts from the back and hips and spreads to the legs, pain or numbness in the hands and feet, swelling of the eye's tissues or eyelids, and eye pain or vision loss.

There are many symptoms of Lyme disease to be aware of (Getty Stock Photo)

The third stage of Lyme disease, also known as late disseminated disease, involves symptoms from stage one and two, as well as issues such as arthritis and the skin condition acrodermatitis chronic atrophicans.

Mayo Clinic adds: "Pain, swelling or stiffness may last for a long time. Or the symptoms may come and go. Stage 3 symptoms usually begin 2 to 12 months after a tick bite."

Many celebrities have spoken out on their Lyme disease diagnosis, including Justin Timberlake, who opened up on his 'shock' health issues in July 2025.