Epidemiology of Lyme Disease
Paul Mead and Amy Schwartz
from: Lyme Disease and Relapsing Fever Spirochetes: Genomics, Molecular Biology, Host Interactions and Disease Pathogenesis (Edited by: Justin D. Radolf and D. Scott Samuels). Caister Academic Press, U.K. (2021) Pages: 649-664.
Abstract
Lyme disease affects populations throughout the northern hemisphere, with regional patterns reflecting differences in pathogen genospecies, vector biology, and human behavior. In the United States, reported cases increased from ~9,000 in 1992 to nearly 34,000 in 2018. The number of patients treated for Lyme disease is estimated at 300,000 annually. U.S. cases are focused in the Northeast and upper Midwest regions; however, these foci are expanding. Lyme disease cases have a distinct bimodal distribution relative to age, peaking among children aged 5 to 15 years and adults aged 60 years or older. Clinical features are influenced by both pathogen and host factors. A firm understanding of Lyme disease epidemiology is important for clinician and researcher alike read more ...
