Patterns Testing for Tick-Borne Diseases and Implications for Surveillance in the Southeastern US.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

Tick-borne diseases (TBD), including spotted fever group rickettsiosis (SFGR), ehrlichiosis, and, increasingly, Lyme disease, represent a substantial public health concern throughout much of the southeastern United States. Yet, there is uncertainty about the epidemiology of these diseases because of pitfalls in existing diagnostic test methods.

Objective

To examine patterns of diagnostic testing and incidence of TBD in a large, academic health care system.

Design, setting, and participants

This cross-sectional study included diagnostic test results for TBD at UNC Health, a large academic health care system with inpatient and outpatient facilities, from January 1, 2017, to November 30, 2020. Participants included all individuals seeking routine care at UNC H

SUBMITTER: Brown Marusiak A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9112065 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature