Volume 17, Number 9—September 2011
Dispatch
Differential Risk for Lyme Disease along Hiking Trail, Germany
Table 1
Density of Ixodes ricinus ticks, prevalence of pathogenic Lyme disease spirochetes, and theoretic risk for exposure to such infected ticks along a trail, southern Germany, May–October 2006 and March–October 2007
Study site and tick stage |
Mean no. ticks collected in 1 hour* |
No. ticks examined |
% Ticks infected with pathogenic spirochetes |
Person’s risk for exposure in 1 hour† |
Pasture | ||||
Nymph | 11.8 | 104 | 3.8‡ | 0.45 |
Adult |
2.3 |
33 |
3.0§ |
0.07 |
Meadow | ||||
Nymph | 87.2 | 188 | 21.8 | 19.01 |
Adult |
10.4 |
58 |
17.2 |
1.79 |
Fallow land | ||||
Nymph | 129.3 | 502 | 17.5 | 22.63 |
Adult | 38.0 | 291 | 13.7 | 5.21 |
*Nymph or female.
†Theoretic risk for exposure, mean number of questing nymphs or female ticks infected by pathogenic genospecies of spirochetes that cause Lyme disease: Borrelia afzelii, B. garinii, B. bavariensis, B. burgdorferi s.s., B. spielmanii.
‡Significantly smaller (p<0.0001 by Fisher exact test).
§Comparison lacks statistical meaning because only 1 adult tick infected with pathogenic spirochetes was collected.
Page created: September 06, 2011
Page updated: September 06, 2011
Page reviewed: September 06, 2011
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.