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Tick Reduction Efforts: No Decrease in Human Lyme Cases

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Emerging Infectious Diseases (Keesing, F., et al.) 5.22, published “Effects of Tick-Control Interventions on Tick Abundance, Human Encounters with Ticks, and Incidence of Tickborne Diseases in Residential Neighborhoods, New York, USA” 

Researchers conducted a large-scale study to determine effectiveness of the Tick Control System (TCS) and Met52 fungal spray in reducing case numbers of Lyme disease. They evaluated effectiveness of these methods separately and together to determine incidence of TBDs in humans and pets in 24 residential neighborhoods. Results showed that TCS was associated with fewer questing ticks and fewer ticks feeding on rodents but did not result in a significant difference in incidence of human TBDs. Significant reduction of incidence of TBDs was observed for pets.

Authors concluded that reduction of tick abundance in residential areas does not significantly reduce incidence of TBDs in humans.


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