title: Epidemiology of Lyme disease.
abstract: Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne illness in North America and Europe. The etiologic agent, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, is transmitted to humans by certain species of Ixodes ticks, which are found widely in temperate regions of the Northern hemisphere. Clinical features are diverse, but death is rare. The risk of human infection is determined by the geographic distribution of vector tick species, ecologic factors that influence tick infection rates, and human behaviors that promote tick bite. Rates of infection are highest among children 5 to 15 years old and adults older than 50 years.
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology and Surveillance Activity, Bacterial Diseases Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA. Electronic address: pfm0@CDC.GOV.
authors.forename: Paul S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Mead
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: Borrelia burgdorferi; Epidemiology; Human; Incidence; Ixodes; Lyme disease; Tick-borne diseases; Zoonosis