Then they scrutinize all the data for paths or patterns that could suggest the source of the epidemic. The mid- 70s outbreak of Lyme disease in the northeastern United States posed an unusual number of curious questions. In November the Connecticut State Health Department got a call from two mothers, Polly Morray and Judith Mensch, who lived in a small town in Connecticut. Each reported that her child had been diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, and each knew of others in the area with similar symptoms.
Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is a very serious illness, and it s extremely rare in children.
The bizarre news that several in the same region had come down with it was enough to alarm the officials.