Precipitation and the Occurrence of Lyme Disease in the Northeastern United States

Abstract

The occurrence of Lyme disease is a growing concern in the United States, and various studies have been performed to understand the factors related to Lyme disease occurrence. In the United States, Lyme disease has occurred most frequently in the northeastern United States. Positive correlations between the number of cases of Lyme disease reported in the northeastern United States during the 1992–2002 period indicate that late spring/early summer precipitation was a significant climate factor affecting the occurrence of Lyme disease. When late spring/early summer precipitation was greater than average, the occurrence of Lyme disease was above average, possibly due to increased tick activity and survival rate during wet conditions. Temperature did not seem to explain the variability in Lyme disease reports for the northeastern United States.