Human-tick encounters as a measure of tickborne disease risk in lyme disease endemic areas

Entomological measures have long served as proxies for human risk of Lyme disease (LD) and other tickborne diseases (TBDs) in endemic areas of the United States, despite conflicting results regarding the correlation between these measures and human disease outcomes. Using data from a previous TBD intervention study in Connecticut, Maryland and New York, we evaluated whether human-tick encounters can serve as an accurate proxy for risk of TBDs in areas where LD and other Ixodes scapularis-transmitted infections are common. Among 2,590 households consisting of 4,210 individuals, experiencing a tick encounter was associated with an increased risk of both self-reported (RR = 3.17, 95% CI: 2.05, 4.91) and verified TBD (RR = 2.60, 95% CI: 1.39, 4.84) at the household level. Household characteristics associated with experiencing any tick encounter were residence in Connecticut (aOR = 1.86, 95% CI: 1.38, 2.51) or New York (aOR = 1.66, 95% CI: 1.25, 2.22), head of household having a graduate level education (aOR = 1.46, 95% CI: 1.04, 2.08), owning a pet (aOR = 1.80, 95% CI: 1.46, 2.23) and a property size of 2 acres or larger (aOR = 2.30, 95% CI: 1.42, 3.70). Results for individual characteristics were similar to those for households. Future prevention studies in LD endemic areas should consider using human-tick encounters as a robust proxy for TBD risk.

Automated summary

The study found that human-tick encounters can serve as an accurate proxy for risk of tickborne diseases in areas where these infections are common. Household characteristics associated with tick encounters were similar to individual characteristics, suggesting that human-tick encounters can be a robust proxy for tickborne disease risk in endemic areas.