NEWS: Discoverer of Lyme disease microbe dies at 82
Willy Burgdorfer, who gave his name to the causative agent of Lyme disease–Borrelia burgdorferi–has passed away.
The Swiss-born Burgdorfer worked at the National Institute of Health’s Rocky Mountain Laboratory in Montana, when he isolated the Lyme spirochete in 1982.
His health had reportedly been failing in the past six months and he recently entered hospice care. LymeDisease.org received word today that he passed away this morning.
Here is a clip of UNDER OUR SKIN’s interview with Burgdorfer.
Thank you Willy for bringing Lyme out of the dark ages, unfortunately things are still very dark in Australia but you have been a shining light too many
Ein grosser Verlust eines wunderbaren Mediziners und Menschen. Ich habe ihn persönlich kennen lernen dürfen. Sein Tod stimmt mich sehr traurig.
Ich hätte ihm gewünscht, noch von positiven Veränderungen innerhalb der Gesundheitspolitik und vor allem der Ärzteschaft erfahren zu dürfen. Nun müssen wir sein Erbe vorantreiben und dafür sorgen, dass seine Erkenntnisse den Stellenwert erhalten, den sie verdienen. Zum Vorteil für Borreliose-Patienten auf allen Kontinenten.
The obituary for Wilhelm “Willy” Burgdorfer can be found here:
http://www.dalyleachchapel.com/Obituaries
“Wilhelm “Willy” Burgdorfer, 89 of Hamilton passed away Monday, November 17th at the Marcus Daly Memorial Hospice Center in Hamilton. A memorial service will be held at 3:00 p.m. Saturday at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Hamilton. Private family urn placement will take place at Riverview Cemetery in Hamilton.”