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. 2021 Aug;27(8):2017–2024. doi: 10.3201/eid2708.204763

Table 1. Lyme disease in the United States and Europe.

Variable United States Europe
Tick vector
Ixodes scapularis, I. pacificus
I. ricinus, I. persulcatus
Lyme borrelia
Mostly Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto; B. mayonii may occur in the upper midwestern United States
Mostly B. afzelii and B. garinii, but several other species cause human disease, including B. burgdorferi s.s., B. bavariensis, B. spielmanii, and B. lusitaniae
Speed of tick transmission of Lyme borrelia
Rarely before 36 h
I. ricinus ticks may transmit B. afzelii within 24 h
Predominant patient sex
Male patients account for 56% of reported cases during 2001–2018; no manifestation is predominant among female patients
Most cases of erythema migrans and acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans occur in women; neuroborreliosis and arthritis are predominant in men
Coinfections Risk depends on the geographic area; the most common co-infections are anaplasmosis and babesiosis. Risk depends on the geographic area; the most common co-infection is tick-borne encephalitis