A1 Journal article (refereed)
Comparing the Climatic and Landscape Risk Factors for Lyme Disease Cases in the Upper Midwest and Northeast United States (2020)


Dong, Y., Huang, Z., Zhang, Y., Wang, X. Y., & La, Y. (2020). Comparing the Climatic and Landscape Risk Factors for Lyme Disease Cases in the Upper Midwest and Northeast United States. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(5), Article 1548. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17051548


JYU authors or editors


Publication details

All authors or editorsDong, Yuting; Huang, Zheng; Zhang, Yong; Wang, X.G. Yingying; La, Yang

Journal or seriesInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

ISSN1661-7827

eISSN1660-4601

Publication year2020

Volume17

Issue number5

Article number1548

PublisherMDPI

Publication countrySwitzerland

Publication languageEnglish

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17051548

Publication open accessOpenly available

Publication channel open accessOpen Access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX)https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/68132


Abstract

Lyme disease, recognized as one of the most important vector-borne diseases worldwide, has been increasing in incidence and spatial extend in United States. In the Northeast and Upper Midwest, Lyme disease is transmitted by Ixodes scapularis. Currently, many studies have been conducted to identify factors influencing Lyme disease risk in the Northeast, however, relatively few studies focused on the Upper Midwest. In this study, we explored and compared the climatic and landscape factors that shape the spatial patterns of human Lyme cases in these two regions, using the generalized linear mixed models. Our results showed that climatic variables generally had opposite correlations with Lyme disease risk, while landscape factors usually had similar effects in these two regions. High precipitation and low temperature were correlated with high Lyme disease risk in the Upper Midwest, while with low Lyme disease risk in the Northeast. In both regions, size and fragmentation related factors of residential area showed positive correlations with Lyme disease risk. Deciduous forests and evergreen forests had opposite effects on Lyme disease risk, but the effects were consistent between two regions. In general, this study provides new insight into understanding the differences of risk factors of human Lyme disease risk in these two regions.


KeywordsborreliosisLyme diseaseBorreliaoccurenceenvironmental factorslocal climateforest typeslandscape

Free keywordsBorrelia burgdorferi; climate; forest fragmentation; Lyme disease


Contributing organizations


Ministry reportingYes

Reporting Year2020

JUFO rating1


Last updated on 2024-14-02 at 17:45