Economic impact of Lyme disease.
To assess the economic impact of Lyme disease (LD), the most common vectorborne inflammatory disease in the United States, cost data were collected in 5 counties of the Maryland Eastern Shore from 1997 to 2000. Patients were divided into 5 diagnosis groups, clinically defined early-stage LD, clinically defined late-stage LD, suspected LD, tick bite, and other related complaints. From 1997 to 2000, the mean per patient direct medical cost of early-stage LD decreased from $1,609 to $464 (p<0.05), and the mean per patient direct medical cost of late-stage LD decreased from $4,240 to $1,380 (p<0.05). The expected median of all costs (direct medical cost, indirect medical cost, nonmedical cost, and productivity loss), aggregated across all diagnosis groups of patients, was approximately $281 per patient. These findings will help assess the economics of current and future prevention and control efforts.
Zhang
Xinzhi
X
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA. XZhang4@cdc.gov
Meltzer
Martin I
MI
Peña
César A
CA
Hopkins
Annette B
AB
Wroth
Lane
L
Fix
Alan D
AD
D000375:Aging; D003625:Data Collection; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008396:Maryland / Q000453:epidemiology; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors