Differential Risk for Lyme Disease along Hiking Trail, Germany

Abstract

To estimate relative risk for exposure to ticks infected with Lyme disease–causing spirochetes in different land-use types along a trail in Germany, we compared tick density and spirochete prevalence on ruminant pasture with that on meadow and fallow land. Risk was significantly lower on pasture than on meadow and fallow land.

Keywords

• Lyme disease
• zooprophylaxis
• ruminants
• reservoir hosts
• spirochetes
• bacteria