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Lyme Disease Cases
(thousands)
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Connecticut
1998..........................3430
1999..........................3215
2000..........................3773
2001..........................3597
2002..........................4631
United States
1998........................12801
1999........................16801
2000........................16273
2001........................17029
2002........................23763
Source: CT Dept of Public Health
US Center of Disease (CDC)
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Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne and rapid emerging infectious disease in the United States according
to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The national surveillance criteria is based on stringent
guideline required by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is to eliminate over reporting of the disease
and ensuring another illnesses are not reported. The State of Connecticut in January 2004 held an open public forum
on Lyme disease, Dr. Paul Mead of the CDC stated at the hearing that any surveillance case definition, none is
100% accurate.
State and Federal public health officials agree under reporting of the disease is high due to the stringent surveillance
criteria as well non reporting by medical doctors. It is important to note that the surveillance criteria is not
a diagnostic criteria and many doctors will treat a patient or a case of Lyme disease that will not be included
in surveillance numbers. Dr. Mead readily pointed this out when he stated, "there will always be some patients
with Lyme Disease whose illness does not meet the national surveillance case definition."
Currently, the State of Connecticut does not require postive Lyme disease cases to be reported by medical labs
starting in 2003. This has resulted in considerable drops in surveillance numbers. Unfortunately, there is no reliable
surveillance system in place to track this emerging infectious disease.
The highest incident of Lyme disease is reported between the months of May and September when the nymphal state
of the black legged tick is active. In the United States, Connecticut has shown the highest incidents of the disease.
Lyme disease is also found in Europe, parts of Russia, China, Korea and Japan. |
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