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Lyme Disease in
Washington State
DOH has received 7 to 18
reports of Lyme disease per year in recent years. Almost all
Washington cases are the result of tick exposure out of
state. Endemic Lyme disease is not common. Although little
is known about the epidemiology of Lyme disease in
Washington State, the risk of infection appears to be
highest in counties around and west of the Cascade
Mountains, reflecting the distribution of the local
Ixodes pacificus
tick vector.
Lyme disease is the most commonly
reported vector-borne disease in the United States with
approximately 20,000 cases reported annually. Lyme disease
has a wide distribution in northern temperate regions of the
world. In the United States, the reported incidence is
highest in the Northeast (particularly in southern New
England); the upper Midwest; and in northern California.
Purpose of Reporting and
Surveillance
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To determine the incidence of Lyme disease,
the degree of endemicity, and potential risk of contracting
Lyme disease in Washington State
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To identify endemic geographic areas within
Washington State
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To educate people about how to reduce their
risk of infection
Legal Reporting Requirements
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Health care providers: notifiable to local
health jurisdiction within 3 work days.
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Hospitals: notifiable to local health
jurisdiction within 3 work days.
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Laboratories: no requirements for
notification.
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Veterinarians: notifiable to Washington
State Department of Agriculture or to the local health
jurisdiction within 7 work days.
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Local health jurisdictions: notifiable to
the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) Communicable
Disease Epidemiology Section (CDES) within 7 days of case
investigation completion or summary information required
within 21 days.
Last
update
Feb. 2008 |
