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 27, Number 8—August 2021
Perspective

Comparison of Lyme Disease in the United States and Europe

Adriana R. MarquesComments to Author , Franc Strle, and Gary P. Wormser
Author affiliations: National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA (A.R. Marques); University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia (F. Strle); New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA (G.P. Wormser)

Main Article

Table 1

Lyme disease in the United States and Europe

Variable United States Europe
Tick vector
Ixodes scapularis, I. pacificus
I. ricinus, I. persulcatus
Lyme borrelia
Mostly Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto; B. mayonii may occur in the upper midwestern United States
Mostly B. afzelii and B. garinii, but several other species cause human disease, including B. burgdorferi s.s., B. bavariensis, B. spielmanii, and B. lusitaniae
Speed of tick transmission of Lyme borrelia
Rarely before 36 h
I. ricinus ticks may transmit B. afzelii within 24 h
Predominant patient sex
Male patients account for 56% of reported cases during 2001–2018; no manifestation is predominant among female patients
Most cases of erythema migrans and acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans occur in women; neuroborreliosis and arthritis are predominant in men
Coinfections Risk depends on the geographic area; the most common co-infections are anaplasmosis and babesiosis. Risk depends on the geographic area; the most common co-infection is tick-borne encephalitis

Main Article

Page created: June 21, 2021
Page updated: July 18, 2021
Page reviewed: July 18, 2021
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