Volume 107, Issues 3–4, 1 December 2012, Pages 275–279
Abstract
Reported cases of Lyme disease (a chronic disease caused by infection with Borrelia burgdorferi)
in humans increased more than two-fold between 1992 and 2006 in the
United States. Recently, the annual number of reported human Lyme
disease cases stabilized (according to the Center for Disease Control
and Prevention) but the geographic distribution seemed to increase. In
New York (NY) State, USA, a spread from the original Lyme disease focus
in southeastern parts of the state has occurred.
We determined incidence risks of new companion animal infection in 2011 with B. burgdorferi
by county in 451 dog and 2100 horse sera; the samples were non-randomly
collected by referring veterinarians in NY State between June 15, 2011
and January 31, 2012 because of suspicion of infection with B. burgdorferi
or during annual health checks. All samples were submitted to the New
York State Animal Health Center; the samples were submitted from 50 out
of 62 counties in the state. Incident infections were determined by
measuring antibodies to outer surface protein C (OspC; a marker of early
infection that is detectable in serum from 3 weeks to 5 months after
infection).
Incident infections with B. burgdorferi
were detected in 23% (95% confidence interval (CI): 19, 27) of canine
samples and in 8% (95%CI: 7, 10) of equine samples. In 21 counties,
samples were submitted from only one species (i.e. only dogs or only
horses) that indicated incident infection.
Recognition
of incidence infections in dogs and horses might serve as a sentinel
for infected ticks in different NY State counties; detection of the OspC
antigen can provide a sensitive, new tool to allow recognition of risk
for possible human and animal infection with B. burgdorferi by geographic region. We recommend that both dogs and horses be part of such a passive surveillance system.
Keywords
- Borreliosis;
- Dog;
- Horse;
- Lyme disease;
- Incidence;
- Sentinel
- Corresponding author. Tel.:
+1 607 253 3813; fax: +1 607 253 3440.
Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
