▁When ▁an ▁inf ected ▁l ouse ▁fe eds ▁on ▁an ▁un in fect ed ▁human , ▁the ▁organ ism ▁g ains ▁access ▁when ▁the ▁victim ▁cr ush es ▁the ▁l ouse ▁or ▁scratch es ▁the ▁area ▁where ▁the ▁l ouse ▁is ▁feed ing . ▁The ▁U . ▁S . ▁Cent ers ▁for ▁D ise ase ▁Control ▁and ▁Pre vention ▁reported ▁that ▁ ▁no ▁cred ible ▁evidence ▁shows ▁that ▁l ice ▁can ▁carry ▁Bor rel ia . ▁ ▁L yme ▁disease ▁ ▁Of ▁the ▁ 5 2 ▁known ▁species ▁of ▁Bor rel ia , ▁ 2 1 ▁are ▁known ▁to ▁cause ▁L yme ▁disease ▁or ▁bor re li osis ▁and ▁are ▁transm itted ▁by ▁t icks . ▁The ▁major ▁Bor rel ia ▁species ▁causing ▁L yme ▁disease ▁are ▁Bor rel ia ▁burg dor fer i , ▁Bor rel ia ▁af zel ii , ▁and ▁Bor rel ia ▁gar ini i . ▁All ▁species ▁that ▁cause ▁L yme ▁disease ▁are ▁referred ▁to ▁collect ively ▁as ▁B . ▁burg dor fer i ▁sens u ▁l ato , ▁while ▁B . ▁burg dor fer i ▁itself ▁is ▁specified ▁as ▁B . ▁burg dor fer i ▁sens u ▁str ic to . ▁B . ▁burg dor fer i ▁was ▁previously ▁believed ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁only ▁species ▁to ▁cause ▁L yme ▁disease ▁in ▁the ▁US , ▁with ▁the ▁other ▁two ▁existing ▁only ▁in ▁Europe ▁and ▁Asia , ▁but ▁a ▁new ▁species ▁called ▁B . ▁may on ii ▁has ▁caused ▁L yme ▁disease ▁in ▁the ▁US , ▁as ▁well .