Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link Skip directly to A-Z link Skip directly to A-Z link
Volume 14, Number 2—February 2008
Research

Effectiveness of Personal Protective Measures to Prevent Lyme Disease

Marietta Vázquez*Comments to Author , Catherine Muehlenbein*, Matthew L. Cartter†, Edward B. Hayes‡, Starr Ertel†, and Eugene D. Shapiro*
Author affiliations: *Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA; †State of Connecticut Department of Public Health, Hartford, Connecticut, USA; ‡Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA;

Main Article

Table 3

Personal protective measures and risk factors for Lyme disease, Connecticut, July 2000 through February 2003

Personal protective measures Case-patients, no. (%) Matched controls, no. (%) Odds ratio* (95% CI)† p value
Use of protective clothing while outdoors
Definite 215 (46)
N = 467 427 (59) 
N = 724 0.6 (0.5–0.7) <0.0001
Definite and possible 265 (46) 
N = 572 524 (58) 
N = 898 0.6 (0.5–0.8) <0.0001
Unlikely
 72 (53) 
N = 137
 121 (53) 
N = 230
 0.9 (0.6- 1.3)
 0.55
Use of tick repellents on skin or clothing while outdoors
Definite 138 (30) 
N = 467 252 (35)
N = 724 0.8 (0.6–0.9) 0.04
Definite and possible 168 (29) 
N = 570 303 (34)
N = 890 0.8 (0.6–0.99) 0.0499
Unlikely
 37 (27)
N = 136
 64 (28)
N = 228
 0.9 (0.6–1.5)
 0.83
Spraying property with tick acaricides
Definite 16 (7) 
N = 237 52 (11) 
N = 467 0.6 (0.3–1.1) 0.09
Definite and possible 19 (7) 
N = 285 62 (11) 
N = 557 0.6 (0.3–1.0) 0.06
Unlikely
 3 (8)
N = 36
 16 (12) 
N = 133
 0.7 (0.2–3.0)
 0.61
Checking the body for ticks after exposure
Definite 360 (77) 
N = 467 560 (77) 
N = 724 1.1 (0.8–1.4) 0.64
Definite and possible 443 (77) 
N = 572 703 (78) 
N = 898 1.0 (0.8–1.4) 0.81
Unlikely 107 (78) 
N = 137 181 (79)
N = 230 0.9 (0.5–1.5) 0.61

*All estimates were adjusted for possible confounders (sex, race, receipt of Lyme vaccine, and use of other personal protective measures) with conditional logistic regression.
†CI, confidence interval.

Main Article

Page created: July 08, 2010
Page updated: July 08, 2010
Page reviewed: July 08, 2010
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.
file_external