Dept. of Defense (DoD)

The Department of Defense is the largest government agency and is responsible for providing military forces needed to deter war and protect the security of our country. The major elements of these forces are the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force. Lyme disease has a serious impact on the military and their dependents. In the Feb. 2021 Medical Surveillance Monthly Report (MSMR), a report on vector-borne diseases in the military during the period 2016 – 2020, including all reportable medical events (RME) of active and reserve component service members who served any time during that period, stated, “Lyme disease accounted for 43.8% of all confirmed RME cases and was the most common of the vector-borne diseases reported….” A Feb. 2021 Joint Force Quarterly publication written by a US Naval War College professor describes the high risks of Lyme to the military−some 75% of all US military installations are located in states where 99% of the ~500,000 TBD cases reported to CDC from 2004-2016 occurred. Additionally, veterans often retire to rural counties where Lyme incidence is higher. This section contains articles on Lyme & TBD on service members and dependents.

Click here for Military Lyme section