Alameda County Lyme Disease Surveillance, 2003-2004

Annual Report FY 2003-2004, Alameda County Vector Control Services

As part of the Lyme disease surveillance program, staff collect and identify ticks, and may recommend testing for tick borne disease when appropriate. Seventeen field surveys were conducted at nine locations, which resulted in the collection of 1,175 questing ticks of which 651 were Ixodes pacificus, the Lyme disease vector. Three of these ticks were confirmed to be Lyme disease positive by direct immuno-fluorescence (IFA). The three positive ticks represented about 0.046% positive for Lyme disease from the samples taken so far. This number is far below the two percent figure, which is the typical average for endemic Lyme disease areas in California. Alameda County continues to have a low incidence of locally acquired Lyme disease, mainly due to its’ isolated number of suitable habitats for the reservoir and vector. Thirty-seven residents or pets from Alameda County were bitten by ticks. These were submitted to the Sonoma County Public Health Laboratory for Lyme disease testing. All local ticks which bit Alameda County Residents tested negative for the Lyme disease spirochete. The District now has the capability of conducting Lyme disease IFA Tests. We hope to expand this capability when new staff are hired.