Borrelia burgdorferi Seroprevalence in Deer across Travis County, Texas: Relevance for Lyme Disease Ecology

Abstract

The goal of this study is to evaluate the role of deer in the transmission of Lyme disease (LD) in Travis County, Texas. This disease is transmitted by the bite of an infected Ixodes tick. LD was first identified in Texas in 1984. Many diagnosed cases are not reflected in official statistics due to restrictive reporting criteria. In 2009 the case definition of LD was revised and currently the CDC differentiates in between probable and confirmed cases for this disease. In most recent years, Texas is the only state in the US with a recurrent ratio 2:1 of probable versus confirmed cases. LD is largely unrecognized in Texas so it is often misdiagnosed by physicians who are not familiar with its clinical presentation. This can be attributed to many different causes. In order to better understand the ecology of this disease in southern US, the main goal of this study is to evaluate the Borrelia burgdorferi (causative agent) seroprevalence in the deer population in Travis County, which is the area with the most reported cases of LD in Texas.