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Lyme Disease Rates in Rural Communities Have Risen 357%
A recent release by Fair Health found that Lyme disease claim rates in rural communities have risen by 357% from 2007 to 2021.
Previous data have suggested that the rates of Lyme disease and other tickborne illnesses have risen in the past few years. A recent press release by Fair Health quantifies this increased rate using private insurance claims. The analysis found that Lyme disease rates in rural communities have risen by 357% from 2007.
In the United States, there are approximately 30,000 reported cases of Lyme disease annually, based on data from the CDC. Despite this estimate, it is thought that the total number of cases is closer to 476,000 annually as many cases go unreported.
According to the CDC, Lyme disease is a vector-borne illness caused by Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria. The early symptoms of Lyme disease include rash, fever, headaches, fatigue, and more. If left untreated, this illness can lead to muscle pain, heart palpitations, facial palsy, and brain and spinal cord inflammation.
Early diagnosis and treatment with antibiotics are necessary to have the best prognosis for Lyme disease.
“Although Lyme disease is treatable with antibiotics, some Lyme patients later develop conditions with long-term symptoms, such as fatigue, muscle and joint pain, and cognitive issues. Such conditions have been linked to post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome, sometimes called chronic Lyme disease,” stated the Fair Health press release.
This analysis found that, between 2007 and 2021, Lyme disease rates have spiked by 357%. Rates between 2016 and 2021 accounted for 60% of that increase. Meanwhile, rates in urban communities also increased.
Despite a less dramatic increase, Lyme disease rates in urban communities increased 65% between 2007 and 2021, with nearly a third of the growth occurring between 2016 and 2021.
While the disease rates varied each month, rural and urban communities saw the highest rates in June and July.
Climate change is thought to be a significant contributing factor to the increased rates of Lyme disease. An article in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health stated that climate change and warming temperatures have allowed ticks (the carriers of Lyme disease) to expand their habitats, thus increasing rates globally.
Many healthcare organizations, such as the AMA, have identified climate change as a public health crisis due to its contributions to illness.
As the rates continue to rise, the public is encouraged to be vigilant of tick bites and seek medical attention if they suspect they have been bitten. In the meantime, government and healthcare officials will continue to analyze risk.
"Lyme disease remains a growing public health concern. FAIR Health will continue to use its repository of claims data to provide actionable and relevant insights to healthcare stakeholders seeking to better understand the ongoing rise of Lyme disease cases," stated FAIR Health President Robin Gelburd in the press release.
