Scientists say the new species of Lyme-carrying bacteria was discovered in the blood of a half-dozen patients with suspected tick-borne illnesses.

A new species of bacteria has been discovered that can cause Lyme disease in people.

The new bacteria is only the second species ever identified that is capable of transferring the disease from ticks to humans.

It was discovered when scientists at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota noticed something unusual in the blood of six people with suspected Lyme disease, according to an announcement today from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The findings were published in The Lancet.

The new bacteria was identified in ticks in two counties in northwestern Wisconsin. Scientists say the likely exposure area is in north central Minnesota and western Wisconsin.

The bacteria was not found in 25,000 blood samples taken from people with suspected tick-borne diseases in 43 other states between 2012 and 2014.

Read More: Lyme Disease Is More Common and More Dangerous Than You Might Think »