Ticks have been on the increase all over the world for a dozen years. A meta-analysis provided an overall estimate of the epidemiology of infection with Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb) in humans and to refine knowledge of risk factors. Three regions on the planet are particularly affected and they concern the northern hemisphere.
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[EN VIDÉO] The warmer it is, the more ticks prefer humans to dogs For their experiment, the researchers built two large boxes, one accommodating a human and the other a dog, and linked together by a transparent plastic tube. They then placed the ticks in the tube and observed which direction they preferred to take, first at a temperature of 23.3°C and then at 37.8°C. © Don Preisler-UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine
More than 14% of the world’s population has had Lyme disease, the most common tick-borne disease, according to a meta-analysis, which compiles studies on the subject. Lyme borreliosis, or Lyme disease, is an infectious disease caused by a bacterium of the complex Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato transmitted to humans by bites of infected ticks.
According to the compilation published Tuesday in review BMJ Global Health, Central Europe has the highest infection rate with 20%. And men over 50 living in rural areas are most at risk. To show how much Lyme disease is common worldwide, the researchers identified 137 eligible studies — out of a possible 4,196 — and pooled data from 89 of them. In 14.5% of the approximately 160,000 participants in total, antibodies against the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb) have been found in blood. ” This is the most comprehensive and up-to-date systematic review of the global seroprevalence of Bb “says the study.
After Central Europe, the regions with the highest antibody rates are East Asia with 15.9%, Western Europe with 13.5% and Eastern Europe. Is with 10.4%. The Caribbean has the lowest rate, with only 2%.
Why so many ticks?
Previous research had shown that the prevalence transmitted diseases by ticks had doubled in the past 12 years. This increase is explained by longer and drier summers due to climate changethe migration of animals, and more and more frequent contact with pets “, according to the study. Farmers and other workers who regularly interact with host animals such as dogs and sheep are most at risk of being bitten by an infected tick, according to the study.
Data could be skewed in areas where Lyme disease is endemic, as health authorities there are more likely to routinely perform antibody tests compared to areas where it is less common, it said.
Lyme disease is rarely fatal, but people bitten by an infected tick often have disease symptomsa skin rash and suffer from symptoms like flu, including pains muscles and joints, headaches, nausea and vomiting.
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