Lyme Disease Intervention Case-Control Study

Purpose

The purpose of the Lyme disease intervention case-control study is to identify and statistically evaluate personal behaviors and landscape modification practices that may be related to the peridomestic prevention of human Lyme disease.

Goals & Objectives

The specific aims of this study are to determine:

1. if personal protection measures such as the application of insect repellent, tick checking, or the wearing of long pants when spending time outdoors were less common in the last month among the cases than the controls,
2. if case patients were less likely to live on a property where acaricide was used during the current year than controls, and
3. if case patients were more likely to live on properties whose landscape had not been modified to reduce tick abundance.

Activities

This three-year case-control study is being conducted among residents of 24 communities within three Connecticut health districts where Lyme disease prevention programs are ongoing. New cases reported from these communities who have a diagnosis of erythema migrans rash (EM) are eligible to participate in this study. Case and control subjects are matched by age and neighborhood, and are interviewed using telephone questionnaires.

Related Links

CDC Lyme disease information
CT Agricultural Experiment Station Tick Management Handbook
Westport-Weston Target Lyme Disease
Torrington Area Health District Lyme Disease Education
CT Department of Public Health Lyme Disease Facts
Ledge Light Health District Tick-Borne Diseases Information

Publications

Neeta Connally, Amanda Durante, Kimberly Yousey-Hindes, James Meek, Randall Nelson, and Robert Heimer. Effectiveness of peridomestic Lyme disease prevention measures: Results of a three-year case-control study in Connecticut. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2009;37(3):201-206.