Lyme disease, caused primarily by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto in the United States, is the most commonly reported vector-borne disease with >30,000 confirmed or probable cases reported annually and a recent estimate suggesting that ten-fold more cases may occur.
There
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is currently no human vaccine against B.
burgdorferi.
However, tick/pathogen control efforts that combine killing of host-seeking ticks with targeting of natural rodent reservoirs for B.
burgdorferi can reduce the abundance of host-seeking infected ticks on residential properties.
The purpose of the project is to advance knowledge of the impact of protection of single versus multiple adjacent properties - in relation to human landscape use patterns and tick exposure locations – to reduce human exposure to ticks infected with Lyme disease spirochetes.