Scientists from Kunming Medical University found that more than 14% of the world’s population probably has, or has had, tick-borne Lyme disease, as indicated by the presence of antibodies in the blood.
They found central and Western Europe and Eastern Asia are the regions of the world where the reported prevalence of the infection is highest, while men aged 50+ who live in rural areas are most at risk.
The research is published in BMJ Global Health and was conducted by Yan Dong et al.
Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Bb) infection, more usually known as Lyme disease, is the most common type of tick-borne infection, with ticks second only to mosquitoes in terms of their carriage of harmful microbes.
Redness and swelling at the site of the tick bite are typical, but the infecting agent can spread to other tissues and organs, potentially affecting the nervous system, joints, heart, and skin.
Lyme disease has continued to spread around the world, but there’s no agreement on just how common it is globally, or what the specific risk factors might be.
In the study, the team used data from 89 published studies, involving 158,287 people.
Their analysis revealed that the reported estimated overall global seroprevalence—the presence of antibodies to Bb infection in the blood—was 14.5%.
The three regions with the highest reported seroprevalence were Central Europe (21%), Eastern Asia (16%), and Western Europe (13.5%).
At the other end of the scale, the regions with the lowest reported seroprevalence were the Caribbean (2%), Southern Asia (3%), and Oceania (nearly 5.5%).
In light of this finding, the researchers suggest that the routine use of Western blotting could strongly improve the accuracy of antibody detection.
A smaller analysis of the results of 58 studies showed that older age (50+), male sex, residence in a rural area, and being bitten by a tick were all associated with a heightened risk of Bb antibodies.
The team says ecological changes and factors such as longer summers and warmer winters, lower rainfall, animal migration, fragmentation of arable land, and more time spent outdoors with pets may be linked to the Lyme disease risk.
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