One-in-seven has had Lyme disease

More than 14% of the world’s population has had Lyme disease, a common tick-borne illness, according to a major new research paper

LYME DISEASE INFECTION RATES (%)

Central Europe
20.7

Eastern Asia
15.9

Western Europe
13.5

Southern Europe
11.1

Eastern Europe
10.4

North America
9.4

South America
8.7

Northern Europe
7.6

Western Asia
6.3

Oceania
4.1

Southern Asia
3.0

Caribbean
2.0

Borrelia burgdorferi, bacteria that causes Lyme disease, found in blood of 14.5% of nearly 160,000 study participants

Adult female deer tick, Ixodes scapularis

People bitten by infected tick often suffer rash (right) and flu-like symptoms including muscle and joint pains, headache and nausea. Extreme cases can cause facial nerve paralysis


Sources: AFP, BMJ Global Health, CDC 
Pictures: Creative Commons, CDC
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