On Sept. 17, 2024, researchers from Tufts University announced they had received a $20.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to try to answer some of the most vexing questions around chronic Lyme disease. Lyme disease syndrome or chronic Lyme disease remain elusive. There is no diagnostic test, clear definition, or specific treatment. The collaborative team will lead the largest NIH-funded prospective study to date, following patients from their earliest diagnosis of Lyme disease in order to better identify why some people go on to develop debilitating symptoms later on.  

While Lyme disease often resolves with a two-to-three-week course of antibiotics, some patients see symptoms persist for months or years. Despite decades of research, many of the fundamentals of post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome or chronic Lyme disease remain elusive. There is no diagnostic test, clear definition, or specific treatment. There is no agreement on the mechanisms causing the condition or how frequently it occurs. It’s even difficult to calculate the number of cases. This is because symptoms such as fatigue, muscle pain, and cognitive impairments are similar to those reported for other conditions, including the flu, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and long COVID. 

The researchers believe that identifying patients at their earliest diagnosis of Lyme disease and following them for over one year could shed light on why some return to good health and others develop prolonged symptoms. The study will aim to enroll 1,000 people with acute Lyme disease at suburban and rural community health centers and practices in Lyme-disease-endemic areas in New England over five years.