Risk Factors for Bites and Diseases Associated With Black-Legged Ticks: A Meta-Analysis.

ABSTRACT: The emergence and spread of Lyme disease and other infections associated with black-legged ticks is causing a public health crisis. No human vaccines are currently available, and both diagnosis and treatment are sometimes ineffectual, leading to advocacy for self-directed preventative measures. These recommendations are widely communicated to the public, but there is limited evidence for their efficacy. We undertook a systematic review and mixed-effects meta-regression analysis of factors purported to increase or decrease risk of black-legged tick bites and tick-borne disease. Published articles used in the study spanned the years 1984-2018. Variables associated with increased probability of tick-borne disease, with odds ratios significantly greater than 1, included deer abundance, high de

SUBMITTER: Fischhoff IR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6736203 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature