The spread of Lyme disease has increased dramatically over the past 15 years with the illness more than tripling in rural areas, according to the nonprofit FAIR Health’s recent analysis of health insurance claims.
Lyme disease, caused by the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria, is transmitted to humans through the bites of infected blacklegged ticks, often called “deer ticks.”
From 2007 to 2021, private insurance claims with a Lyme disease diagnosis in rural America jumped by 357 percent and in urban areas by 65 percent (pdf).
A significant share of that increase occurred in the years between 2016 and 2021, with a 60 percent increase in rural areas and 19 percent increase in urban areas….