Updated · University of Minnesota Twin Cities · Aug 17
Biltmore Forest Ticks Show 76.9% Lyme Positivity, Marking Southern Appalachia's Leading Edge
Updated
Updated · University of Minnesota Twin Cities · Aug 17
Biltmore Forest Ticks Show 76.9% Lyme Positivity, Marking Southern Appalachia's Leading Edge
3 articles · Updated · University of Minnesota Twin Cities · Aug 17
Summary
76.9% of blacklegged ticks collected from residential properties in Biltmore Forest, North Carolina, tested positive for Borrelia burgdorferi, according to an MMWR analysis.
Researchers said the Blue Ridge town appears to sit on the leading edge of Lyme disease's southward spread, with nearby South Carolina counties showing much lower tick infection rates.
17 Biltmore Forest residents reported Lyme diagnoses, while researchers also detected Borrelia miyamotoi in two adult ticks and pooled larval samples, signaling additional tick-borne disease risk.
The findings point to a need for more surveillance and clinician education in southern Appalachia, where providers may have limited experience diagnosing tick-borne illnesses.
Lyme disease has historically been concentrated in the Northeast and Upper Midwest, but the North Carolina data suggest that pattern is shifting.