What Is Lyme Disease? JAMA Patient education handout. Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne infection in the US. A bite from infected Ixodes scapularis ticks can transmit the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, which causes Lyme disease. https://t.co/a8eMdAy0bi https://t.co/Jrj4Eiuy24