Cat Ownership and Rural Residence Are Associated with Lyme Disease Prevalence in the Northeastern United States.
Int J Environ Res Public Health
; 19(9)2022 05 05.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-35565004
ABSTRACT
Lyme disease (LD) is the most common vector-borne disease in the USA. Beyond its tick-borne nature, however, risk factors for LD are poorly understood. We used an online questionnaire to compare LD patients and non-LD counterparts and elucidate factors associated with LD. We investigated demographic, lifestyle, and household characteristics and use of prevention measures. Associations with LD were modeled using logistic regression, and average marginal effects were estimated. In total, 185 active or past LD patients and 139 non-patients participated. The majority of respondents were white (95%) and female (65%). Controlling for age, sex, and type of residential area, pet ownership was associated with an 11.1% (p = 0.038) increase in the probability of LD. This effect was limited to cat owners (OR 2.143, p = 0.007; dog owners, OR 1.398, p = 0.221). Living in rural areas was associated with a 36% (p = 0.001) increase in the probability of LD compared to living in an urban area. Participants who reported knowing someone with Lyme Disease were more likely to wear insect repellant and perform tick checks. This study suggests opportunities for improved LD prevention, including advising cat owners of their increased risk. Although patterns in adoption of LD prevention methods remain poorly understood, concern about LD risk does motivate their use.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Carrapatos
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Doença de Lyme
Tipo de estudo:
Etiology_studies
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Prevalence_studies
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Prognostic_studies
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Qualitative_research
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Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Animals
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Female
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Humans
País como assunto:
America do norte
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2022
Tipo de documento:
Article