Lyme disease cases rise, but largely due to a change in data collection
A new CDC report shows Lyme disease cases rose by 69% in 2022 over previous years. It's likely due to a new way of doing surveillance.
A new report released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention appears to show that Lyme disease cases in the United States rose by 69% in 2022 over previous years. But in reality, the sharp increase is likely due to a new way of doing surveillance for the disease, not an explosion of cases.
The change, an attempt to lift a crushing reporting burden off the shoulders of states where Lyme disease infections are common, went into effect in 2022. From that point forward, 15 states that historically have reported about 90% of all Lyme disease cases now need only a positive blood test result to report a case to the CDC. States where the disease is rare must still gather clinical data on each person who has a positive Lyme test before reporting it as a case.
What's Your Reaction?
