Health
CDC sees burst of Lyme disease
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted May 24, 2004
The number of cases of Lyme disease reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention increased by 40% from 2001 to 2002 -- the highest level yet. The increase is likely due to more houses being built in wooded areas where the ticks that carry the disease are found, greater recognition of the disease and enhanced reporting, the CDC said.
During 2002, a total of 23,763 cases were reported to the CDC, most in the Northeast, the mid-Atlantic states and the North Central states. The largest proportion of cases were reported among 5- to 14-year-olds and among 50- to 59-year-olds.
In February 2002, the only Food and Drug Administration-approved vaccine was withdrawn from the market. But the CDC points to other effective measures to protect people living in tick-infested areas. They include repellent use and routine tick checks as well as reducing exposure by removing brush and leaf litter or creating a buffer zone of wood chips or gravel between forest and lawn or recreational areas.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2004/05/24/hlbf0524.htm.
