Lyme Disease

Senators grilled Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about his views on vaccines, abortion and other health-related matters in a frequently contentious hearing Wednesday to assess his nomination to be the next U.S. health secretary.

The geographic range of ticks in the United States is expanding, which may place more people than ever at risk for tick-borne diseases. We asked Richard S. Ostfeld, PhD, for an explanation.

Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States, and although cases have steadily increased — and are estimated to be significantly undercounted — there is no vaccine to prevent it.

The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation, or CEPI, is spending $14.9 million to develop rapid tests for Nipah virus and Lassa fever.

Although the number of reported Lyme disease cases in the United States in 2022 was nearly double the annual average from 2017 to 2019, the actual increase is not likely to have been that large, according to experts.

HHS released a national plan to reduce the incidence of vector-borne diseases in the United States, which has doubled over the last 20 years.

NEW YORK — A Tarsus executive said the company is looking forward to FDA approval of TP-03, a 0.25% lotilaner ophthalmic solution for treatment of Demodex blepharitis, in late summer 2023.

Most children diagnosed with Lyme disease recover within 6 months of receiving antibiotic treatment, regardless of their clinical presentation, according to findings from a study published in Pediatric Research.

Health officials said they detected poliovirus in New York City sewage samples. It was the top infectious disease story last week.