Work

Lyme disease surveillance in the United States: Looking for ways to cut the Gordian knot

Year: 2018

Type: article

Abstract: Current surveillance methods have been useful to document geographic expansion of Lyme disease in the United States and to monitor the increasing incidence of this major public health problem. Nevertheless, these approaches are resource-intensive, generate results that are difficult to compare across jurisdictions, and measure less than the total burden of disease. By adopting more efficient methods, resources could be diverted instead to education of at-risk populations and new approaches to prevention. In this special issue of Zoonoses and Public Health, seven articles are presented that either evaluate traditional Lyme disease surveillance methods or explore alternatives that have the potential to be less costly, more reliable, and sustainable. Twenty-five years have passed since Lyme disease became a notifiable condition - it is time to reevaluate the purpose and goals of national surveillance.

Source: Zoonoses and Public Health

DOI: 10.1111/zph.12448

Authors: M. L. Cartter, R. Lynfield, K. A. Feldman, S. A. Hook, A. F. Hinckley

Institutions: Connecticut Department of Public Health, Minnesota Department of Health, Maryland Department of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Language: English

Topic: Vector-borne infectious diseases

Subfield: Parasitology

Field: Immunology and Microbiology

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funder: National Institutes of Health