Epidemiology of lyme disease, Nova Scotia, Canada, 2002–2013

Todd F. Hatchette, B. Lynn Johnston, Emily Schleihauf, Angela Mask, David Haldane, Michael Drebot, Maureen Baikie, Teri J. Cole, Sarah Fleming, Richard Gould, Robbin Lindsay

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

21 Citations (Scopus)

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 languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1751-1758
Number of pages8
JournalEmerging Infectious Diseases
Volume21
Issue number10
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 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

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