Lyme disease is listed as a "rare disease" by the Office of Rare Diseases (ORD) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This means that Lyme disease, or a subtype of Lyme disease, affects less than 200,000 people in the US population.
estimated 100,000 cases annually (NIAID/USA) ... see also overview of Lyme disease.
approx 1 in 2,719 or 0.04% or 100,000 people in USA [Source statistic for calcuation: "estimated 100,000 cases annually (NIAID/USA)" -- see also general information about data sources]
100,000 per year, 8,333 per month, 1,923 per week, 273 per day, 11 per hour, 0 per minute, 0 per second. [Source statistic for calculation: "estimated 100,000 cases annually (NIAID/USA)" -- see also general information about data sources]
In 1999, 16,273 cases of Lyme disease were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (Source: excerpt from CDC Lyme Disease Home Page: DVBID)
Lyme disease is the leading cause of vector-borne infectious illness in the U.S. with about 15,000 cases reported annually, though the disease is greatly underreported. Over 125,000 cases have been reported since 1982. Based on reported cases, during the past ten years 90% of cases of Lyme disease occurred in ten states:
| State | Total Number Cases Reported 1989-1998 | Annual Incidence per 100,00 persons |
| New York | 39,370 | 21.6 |
| Connecticut | 17,728 | 54.2 |
| Pennsylvania | 14,870 | 12.3 |
| New Jersey | 13,428 | 16.9 |
| Wisconsin | 4,760 | 9.3 |
| Rhode Island | 3,717 | 37.5 |
| Maryland | 3,410 | 6.8 |
| Massachusetts | 2,712 | 4.5 |
| Minnesota | 1,745 | 3.8 |
| Delaware | 1,003 | 14.0 |
Approximately 12,500 new cases were diagnosed in 1997. (Source: excerpt from Stories of Discovery Lyme Disease Vaccine Preventing an Emerging Disease: NIAID)
The following statistics relate to the incidence of Lyme disease:
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Lyme disease occurs when a tick injects spirochete-laden saliva into the bloodstream. After incubating for 3 to 32 days, the spirochetes migrate out to the skin, causing ECM. Then they disseminate to other skin sites or organs via the bloodstream or lymph system. They may survive for years in the joints, or they may trigger an inflammatory response in the host and then die.
Initially, Lyme disease was identified in a group of children in Lyme, Connecticut. Now it's known to occur primarily in three parts of the United States: in the northeast, from Massachusetts to Maryland; in the Midwest, in Wisconsin and Minnesota; and in the west, in California and Oregon. Although it's endemic to these areas, cases have been reported in all 50 states and in 20 other countries, including Germany, Switzerland, France, and Australia.
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Has now become most common tick-borne disease in US, with 23,305 cases reported in 2005. Although Lyme disease can be found anywhere, the majority of the cases in the US are found in southern New England and the mid-Atlantic States. It is also seen frequently in California, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.
Source: The 5-Minute Pediatric Consult, 2008
The term 'prevalence' of Lyme disease usually refers to the estimated population of people who are managing Lyme disease at any given time. The term 'incidence' of Lyme disease refers to the annual diagnosis rate, or the number of new cases of Lyme disease diagnosed each year. Hence, these two statistics types can differ: a short-lived disease like flu can have high annual incidence but low prevalence, but a life-long disease like diabetes has a low annual incidence but high prevalence. For more information see about prevalence and incidence statistics.
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