Fall and rise of Lyme disease and other ixodes tick-borne infections in North America and Europe

Abstract

Lyme disease is a spirochaetal infection with acute and chronic manifestations. Lyme disease and other infections transmitted by Ixodes species ticks are increasing in temperate and Holarctic regions of the Northern hemisphere. These zoonotic infections are most commonly acquired in suburban residential areas and outdoor recreation areas close to cities. Different enzootic cycles, which include a variety of large and small mammals as well as migratory birds, maintain and distribute in nature the Borrelia species that cause Lyme disease. The rise in cases of Lyme disease and the other Ixodes tick-borne infections is, in part, the consequence of reforestation and the increase in deer populations in developed countries.