Systematic review and meta-analysis of tick-borne disease risk factors in residential yards, neighborhoods, and beyond.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Exposure to blacklegged ticks Ixodes scapularis that transmit pathogens is thought to occur peri-domestically. However, the locations where people most frequently encounter infected ticks are not well characterized, leading to mixed messages from public health officials about where risk is highest.

Methods

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis on spatial risk factors for tick-borne disease and tick bites in eastern North America. We examined three scales: the residential yard, the neighborhood surrounding (but not including) the yard, and outside the neighborhood. Nineteen eligible studies represented 2741 cases of tick-borne illness and 1447 tick bites. Using random effects models, we derived pooled odds ratio (OR) estimates.

Results

The meta-

SUBMITTER: Fischhoff IR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6798452 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature