Ecological and Evolutionary Trends of Lyme disease in the Northeastern United States
“Since the first reported outbreak in 1975 in Old Lyme Connecticut, Lyme disease has gained increasing prevalence as a major emerging infectious disease comparable to HIV and malaria and is currently the most common vector-borne illness in the United States (Steere et al., 2004; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013). Lyme disease is a blood-borne pathogen caused by the bacterial spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi which, when transferred from the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) to humans can cause skin lesions, chronic oligoarthritis, cardiac abnormalities, and in some cases fatal neurological disorders such as meningitis (Steere et al., 1983). Different strains of Lyme disease have been found in Europe and Asia, making the activity of this pathogen a global concern (Schmid, 1985).”
-Collin Hayes
