Climate Change Contributes to Rising Rates of Lyme Disease

According to a 2022 study published in BMJ Global Health, the global prevalence of Lyme disease has increased to 14.5%. Many sources attribute this increase to the impending climate change crisis. As previously reported, vector-borne viruses have already increased and will continue to do so as the climate change crisis is exacerbated.  

The study published in BMJ Global Health was a meta-analysis that reviewed 89 studies worldwide. In addition to identifying a global prevalence of 14.5%, the report highlighted three regions with the highest Lyme disease rates — Central Europe, Eastern Asia, and Western Europe.  

In fact, Central Europe has a prevalence rate 6.2% higher than the global average. 

A 2018 study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health identifies climate change as a significant contributor to the spread of Lyme disease as warming temperatures have allowed ticks (the carriers of Lyme disease) to expand their habitats. Previously “safe” areas of the world where temperatures were too cool for ticks to survive have warmed and become inhabitable. 

An article by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) corroborates the BMJ study by showing that Lyme disease rates have risen since 1991. In agreement with other sources, the EPA largely attributes this rate increase to climate change. They recognize that ticks prefer higher temperatures and a humid environment to thrive.  

Globally warming temperatures have provided ticks with more survivable habitats. Additionally, with warm seasons lasting longer than before, ticks can permeate different environments for a more extended period. 

In the United States, ticks contribute to more than 90% of all vector-borne illnesses.  

The CDC reports that, between 2004 and 2019, the rate of tick-borne conditions multiplied by more than two times. These statistics only consider the reported diagnoses. However, the statistics are likely higher since early Lyme disease symptoms are mild. 

Many organizations, including the AMA, EPA, and the WHO, have identified climate change as a public health crisis.  

The AMA’s recent press release, which declared climate change as a public health crisis, proposes a plan of action to limit the climate change crisis. While current damage is irreversible, the agency’s plan to limit rising temperatures annually can potentially reduce further tick infestation, thus limiting how much rates of tick-borne illnesses rise.  

With the summer months in full swing, everyone — especially physicians around the globe — must be vigilant about the rates of Lyme Disease and how increasingly warming temperatures may maximize risk.