Researchers at the Mayo clinic have recently discovered a new species of bacteria while testing the blood of people who allegedly have Lyme disease. The B. mayonii bacterium, named after the researchers who assisted the discovery, is a bacteria that can cause the "debilitating illness" in North America.

The bacterium was discovered after DNA samples from six out of 9,000 patients didn't match that of Borrelia burgdorferi. After conducting extensive genetic testing to determine whether the bacteria is a new species of bacteria or not, the results led researchers to the discovery of a new species, which can help them understand the disease even more.

"This was likely a bacteria that was there all the time but because our scientific tests couldn't identify it," Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, said. He also explained how new technology was able to help them through the discovery to understand more about other infectious diseases.

Schaffner also added that the discovery will surely be a great help to people who might suffer from other mysterious illnesses in the future.

"The information will go out to doctors in the communities. They will start to ask for testing for this bug in a wider variety of cases," he said. "The clinical picture will mature as it goes on."

As reported by ABC News, the difference between the newly discovered species from the other Lyme disease causing bacteria is the effect or symptoms it causes as it penetrates a host. Infected people might feel acute symptoms of nausea and diffuse rashes instead of the typical "bulls-eye" rash and vomiting.

Dr. Bobbi Pritt, one of the experts in charge of the research, explained that though they have unveiled another important piece of information regarding the Lyme bacteria, the disease is still difficult to diagnose.

"Most cases of Lyme disease don't have sufficient levels of bacteremia to make PCR testing of blood a sensitive method for diagnosis," Pritt said.

According to Forbes, Lyme disease, which infects an estimated 300,000 U.S. citizens and 85,000 in Europe per year, is now becoming a burden as it spreads fast. The bacteria that can cause the disease can be transmitted by a black-legged tick with a scientific name of Ixodes scapularis. Of all 600 species of ticks the Mayo clinic tested, three percent were carriers of the newly discovered bacteria.