Lyme disease is an infamous infection caused by ticks or fleas.
The bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi and Borrelia mayonii are the most common instigators, making Lyme disease a potential threat to both people and animals.
As such, Lyme disease statistics can be handy when it comes to understanding the different aspects of the disease, its symptoms, the forms of treatment, and the incidence rate.
In this article, we’ll cover just that!
Top 10 Grisly Lyme Disease Facts and Stats
- Lyme disease can be found in over 80 countries.
- Up to 90% of infections are cured by antibiotics.
- 56.7% of people infected with Lyme disease are men.
- Lyme disease cases increased by more than 80% from 2004 to 2016.
- Treatment of chronic Lyme disease cases often isn’t covered.
- Merely 10% of affected dogs show symptoms of the disease.
- It takes about four weeks to cure Lyme disease.
- 8 people died of Lyme disease in 2008 in the US.
- It takes 36 to 48 hours for a tick to transmit Lyme disease.
- Only adult female deer ticks and nymphs can transmit Lyme disease.
If you wish to know more about Lyme disease and how to keep both yourself and your pet safe, keep on reading.
General Facts About Lyme Disease
People all over the world experience difficulties caused by Lyme disease. Still, not every patient experiences this disease the same way.
Here’s some more info on the disease, particularly how widespread it is, its symptoms, and treatment.
1. 41% of patients experience sleep issues due to Lyme disease.
(LymeDisease)
Lyme disease symptoms are a vital indicator of whether or not you should take a trip to the doctor’s office.
Besides having sleep issues and abysmal rashes, you could also experience fever-like symptoms such as chills, sweats, muscle aches, or facial drooping.
2. 70–80% of infected people experience erythema migrans rash.
(CDC)
The thing that differentiates Lyme disease from a common fever is the rash.
A Lyme disease rash occurs between 3 to 30 days following the tick bite. It can expand up to 12 inches, but it is rarely painful or itchy.
3. Treatment failure rates range from 10% to 20%.
(NCBI)
When it comes to Lyme disease treatment, it is successful in most cases.
However, a small percentage suffers failure due to various reasons, such as regional or geographical differences, non-standard treatments, and delayed treatments.
4. Lyme disease can be found in more than 80 countries.
(Lyme Disease Association)
Today, cases of Lyme disease can be found on almost every continent.
It seems that ticks and fleas transmitting the disease can survive almost any climate. The Lyme disease world map shows just how widespread the disease really is.
5. Around 30,000 cases of Lyme disease are reported to the District of Columbia each year.
(CDC)
People get bit by ticks and fleas pretty often. Just in the US, approximately 300,000 people get Lyme disease each year, according to recent CDC Lyme disease data.
6. Between 1999 and 2003, 114 people lost their lives due to Lyme disease.
(Reuters)
During the 4 years, research was conducted in 45 US states.
Based on the results, the answer to the burning question “is Lyme disease fatal” is a resounding “yes,” but only for a small number of cases.
7. Up to 90% of infections are cured by antibiotics.
(WebMD)
Is Lyme disease curable?
Well, despite Lyme disease being fatal sometimes, the good news is that it’s curable in most cases.
With the help of Amoxicillin or cefuroxime, it’s possible to cure the disease in under 4 weeks.
8. 56.7% of people infected with Lyme disease are men.
(CDC)
According to studies conducted between 2008 and 2015, most patients were, in fact, men. Women were less likely to get infected.
9. White patients make up 89.7% of people infected with Lyme disease in the US.
(CDC)
Lyme disease rates indicate that people of all ethnicities, races, and age groups can get infected with this disease.
However, the most significant part of the infected population was Caucasian when it comes to the US.
African Americans made merely 1.6%, Asian Islanders 1.5%, whereas Native Americans accounted for less than 1% of the infected population.
10. 25% of new cases are, in fact, children.
(LymeDisease)
When we look at Lyme disease cases per year, children account for an entire quarter, which is frightening, to say the least.
11. Cases of Lyme disease have increased by more than 80% from 2004 to 2016.
(WebMD)
As for the Lyme disease infection rate, it’s pretty evident that the situation is getting progressively worse by the year.
The number of new cases in 2004 was 19,804, whereas the number of new cases in 2016 reached 36,429.
It’s also worth mentioning that there are still plenty of unreported cases out there, meaning the numbers are even higher.
Interesting Facts About Lyme Disease
Of all the tick-borne diseases, Lyme disease seems to be the one people talk about the most.
Even though this disease can sometimes lead to fatal consequences, it is easily treatable in most cases.
If you wish to know how long it takes to die from Lyme disease or how long the treatment lasts, take a look below!
12. Immunity against the strain can last 6 to 9 years.
(ScienceDaily)
Once people have successfully treated Lyme disease, they develop immunity that protects them from getting the infection once more.
Still, immunity isn’t permanent.
Depending on Lyme disease strains, immunity can last up to 10 years.
13. Merely 10% of affected dogs show symptoms of the disease.
(My Pet’s Animal Hospital)
According to the most recent dog statistics, there are more than 900 million dogs globally.
Yet, only a tiny fraction of these dogs will show apparent symptoms of the disease.
To make matters worse, dogs are the most likely candidates for this disease. The best way to protect them is to get them a collar that’ll protect them from ticks and fleas.
14. Early Lyme disease symptoms occur 3 to 30 days following the bite.
(CDC)
If you get infected with Lyme disease, you probably won’t experience any symptoms for the first month.
It’s essential to pay attention to the signs as soon as they show up to resolve the issue without unnecessary complications.
15. In chronic Lyme disease cases, health insurance in America often doesn’t cover the cost of treatment.
(LymeLight Foundation)
When treatment fails, the disease starts coming back.
In such cases, people develop a chronic case of the disease, whose treatment isn’t covered by the insurance (in the US).
16. 14 US states had a high incidence rate of Lyme disease between 2008 and 2015.
(CDC)
Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia are just some of the states that can be found on this list.
When it comes to the incidence of Lyme disease by state, it’s not all that bad. Namely, half of the states met the criteria for low incidence rates.
17. 8 people died of Lyme disease in 2008 in the US.
(Lyme Disease Association)
Even though deaths caused by Lyme disease are relatively rare, they still happen.
The lowest number of deaths per year (in the US) occurred in 2003 at just 4. Fortunately, the Lyme disease death rate isn’t high, nor will it get any higher in the future.
18. It takes about four weeks to cure Lyme disease.
(Reuters)
Once Lyme disease is recognized and diagnosed, the treatment begins.
This disease is treated with antibiotics, which solves the problem in most cases. According to well-known Lyme disease facts, you need about a month of recovery time once you start the treatment.
19. The only way of transmitting Lyme disease from one person to another is if a pregnant woman gets infected.
(Healthline)
People often wonder how they can get infected with a disease. This kind of infection comes solely from ticks and fleas, except in the case of pregnant women.
Therefore, the answer to the question “is Lyme disease contagious” is — “no.”
Fascinating Flea and Tick Facts
Fleas and ticks are some of the most interesting creatures out there. As tiny as they are, it’s incredible what kind of trouble they can cause.
They can show up on your pet one day and cause complete havoc in your life.
20. There are over 850 species of ticks.
(CatnDog’s)
What causes Lyme disease?
Pesky little creatures called ticks, and they’re found everywhere!
They are found in tall grass, shrubs, and even leaf litter. When going through these areas, it’s essential to remain vigilant, as these creatures are often too small to be seen.
21. A flea can jump 110 times its length.
(PetMD)
Fleas are pretty fascinating creatures as well. They can get onto you or your pet in less than a second.
No matter how high you are, they can always jump high enough to reach you, as recent flea facts suggest.
22. Only adult female deer ticks and nymphs can transmit Lyme disease infections.
(The Vermont Country Store)
Although all sorts of deer ticks attach to the skin, not all transmit Lyme disease.
On the contrary, according to deer tick facts, male deer ticks don’t even feed once they attach themselves.
23. In 2017, 59,349 cases of tick-borne diseases were reported.
(CDC)
Even though Lyme disease is one of the most famous tick-borne diseases, it’s not the only one.
Anaplasmosis, spotted fever, rickettsiosis, babesiosis, and tularemia are other instances contributing to the statistics for tick-borne diseases.
24. It takes 36 to 48 hours for a tick to transmit the bacteria causing Lyme disease.
(CDC)
As our pet ownership statistics reveal, pet owners have a lot on their plate regarding responsibilities. One of these is checking your dog for any signs of ticks or other parasites.
If you notice these on time, you can prevent the transmission of the disease, tick facts indicate.
25. Female fleas lay more than 20 eggs a day.
(My Pet’s Animal Hospital, PetMD)
Noticing fleas and ticks on time can be a real life-saver, quite literally.
Fleas can adapt to any environment, and they reproduce rapidly. That means you have to act quickly if you want to help your flea-infested pet.
26. Doxycycline and Amoxicillin are the most common medicines for dogs infected with Lyme disease.
(My Pet’s Animal Hospital)
However, if not adequately treated, Lyme disease can damage the kidneys and liver of your dog.
27. In 2010, more than 22,500 cases of Lyme disease were reported in the US.
(CDC)
Colorado tick fever, Powassan encephalitis, and Q fever are other tick-borne diseases in the US. According to well-established tick-borne illnesses facts, there were some 7,500 probable cases in the US that same year.
FAQ
28. How to check for Lyme disease?
Once you start noticing symptoms such as a rash at the site of the bite, fever, headaches, fatigue, and muscle aches, it’s time you visit a doctor.
If you also experience nerve pain, shortness of breath, joint pain, and a racing heart — do the blood tests your doctor recommends.
29. Where is Lyme disease most common?
Lyme disease is spread all over the globe. However, the US is the place where Lyme disease is most common, followed by central Europe.
30. Is there prevention for Lyme disease?
There is a way to prevent Lyme disease — avoid tick bites. You do that by knowing where to expect them and repelling them from your skin and clothing.
You should also check whether you have any ticks attached to your body every day. This is especially if you were lying on the ground the day before.
31. Is Lyme disease direct or indirect transmission?
Lyme disease is an indirect transmission since it is transmitted from an animal to a person.
32. Where is Lyme disease found in the world?
When it comes to the geographical distribution of Lyme disease, this disease can be found almost anywhere.
The US, forested areas of Asia, western, eastern, and central Europe are just some of the locations where new disease cases frequently show up.
The Bottom Line
Lyme disease is no joke.
People, as well as animals, are afflicted by this infection.
Recent Lyme disease statistics show some interesting facts and figures that shouldn’t be neglected, considering the seriousness of the disease.
Hence, always take all the necessary precautions to prevent getting either you or your pet infected. That’s the only way of protecting both of you from the dangers of Lyme disease.
Sources
2 comments
Lies. 4 weeks to cure? Pathetic lies
Hello, we are sorry you feel this way. This information was carefully researched and confirmed for our review. Of course, there are some cases where this time is shortened or extended dramatically. Perhaps we are mistaken, and if so, we would be very happy to adjust our information is given a trusted source to use. Thank you.