NEW YORK — Lyme illness instances within the U.S. jumped practically 70% in 2022, which well being officers say just isn’t as a result of a significant enhance of latest infections however as an alternative a change in reporting necessities.
Reported instances surpassed 62,000 in 2022, after averaging about 37,000 a yr from 2017 by means of 2019, the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention stated in a report launched Thursday. Numbers for 2023 will probably be launched later this yr.
Lyme illness is the commonest tick-borne infection within the U.S., occurring largely within the Northeast, Midwest and mid-Atlantic states.
Learn Extra: What Happened to the Lyme Disease Vaccine?
An estimated 476,000 People are identified with it annually, however solely a fraction are formally reported.
Historically, well being departments obtained constructive lab checks and went again to physician’s workplaces to collect extra details about the sufferers. However reporting fell off in 2020 and 2021 when well being division staffers have been busy engaged on COVID-19.
Beginning in 2022, all that’s required to report instances—at the least in high-incidence states—is a constructive lab take a look at. It’s potential that higher, extra delicate testing is getting used extra and that will have contributed to the rise, but it surely’s too early to inform, CDC officers stated.
