Lyme disease

Prevalence

Canine Lyme Disease Increasing

Discovered in humans in 1975 in Old Lyme, Conn., and identified in dogs in 1984, Lyme disease in both people and dogs has spread rapidly because deer and mice have helped spread ticks with the infection. It is now found in all 48 contiguous states.¹ It is estimated that 50% of dogs are infected with Lyme Borreliosis in endemic disease areas.⁴

There is no system to track the number of dogs that get Lyme disease every year, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been tracking state-by-state human cases each year since 1993.

Since ticks don't seem to care if they land on humans or dogs, the increase of human Lyme disease seems to apply to dogs, as well. Today, Lyme disease is the most prevalent tick-borne disease among humans and dogs in the United States with 28,921 new human cases in 48 states reported in 2008.¹

Know the facts about human Lyme disease

• Has been found in all 48 contiguous states¹
• Number of cases more than doubled from 1995 to 2008
• 20,000 new cases were reported each year since 2002
• 35,198 new cases were reported in 2008
• There is estimated to be 40,000 new cases per year by 2012²

Know the facts about canine Lyme disease

• Nearly 75% of unvaccinated dogs in high Lyme disease areas will eventually test positive for canine Lyme disease, and each year more will develop the disease³
• Exposure to Lyme disease may be greater among dogs than humans, because dogs spend more time in backyards or roaming where they are in contact with ticks
• Tick-borne diseases accounted for nearly half of pet insurance infectious disease claims in 2007⁵

View state-by-state reported human Lyme disease cases on www.cdc.gov.