Chimeric polyvalent recombinant proteins for use as vaccines and diagnostics for Lyme disease (e.g. in canines and humans) are provided. The chimeric proteins comprise epitopes of the loop 5 region and/or the alpha helix 5 region of outer surface protein C (OspC) types and/or OspE types. The OspC types may be associated with mammalian Borrelia infections.