Abstract
Ixodes scapularis ticks, which transmit Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease (LD), are endemic to at least 6 regions of Nova Scotia, Canada. To assess the epidemiology and prevalence of LD in Nova Scotia, we analyzed data from 329 persons with LD reported in Nova Scotia during 2002–2013. Most patients reported symptoms of early localized infection with rash (89.7%), influenza-like illness (69.6%), or both; clinician-diagnosed erythema migrans was documented for 53.2%. In a separate serosurvey, of 1,855 serum samples screened for antibodies to B. burgdorferi, 2 were borderline positive (both with an indeterminate IgG on Western blot), resulting in an estimated seroprevalence of 0.14% (95% CI 0.02%–0.51%). Although LD incidence in Nova Scotia has risen sharply since 2002 and is the highest in Canada (16/100,000 population in 2013), the estimated number of residents with evidence of infection is low, and risk is localized to currently identified LDendemic regions.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1751-1758 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Emerging Infectious Diseases |
Volume | 21 |
Issue number | 10 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Sept 1 2015 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2015, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). All rights reserved.
ASJC Scopus Subject Areas
- Epidemiology
- Microbiology (medical)
- Infectious Diseases
PubMed: MeSH publication types
- Journal Article
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't