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Towards landscape design guidelines for reducing Lyme disease risk
Laura E Jackson1, Elizabeth D Hilborn, James C Thomas
1National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, USA. jackson.laura@epa.gov
International Journal of Epidemiology
|January 6, 2006
Summary
Lyme disease risk is lower in areas with clustered forest and herbaceous cover, not high interspersion. Clustered development can minimize exposure in residential areas.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Epidemiology
- Urban Planning
Background:
- Lyme disease incidence is increasing in the US.
- Low-density development is rising in endemic areas.
- The relationship between development patterns and disease risk requires investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- Model Lyme disease incidence using landscape pattern metrics.
- Develop design guidelines to minimize health threats.
- Quantify landscape factors influencing disease risk.
Main Methods:
- Ecological analysis of landscape variables.
- Used passive surveillance data from 2,137 Lyme disease cases in Maryland (1996-2000).
- Delineated 514 landscape analysis units based on major roads.
Main Results:
- Land-cover edge (forest-herbaceous adjacency) explained the most incidence rate variation (R²=0.75).
- Percentage of forest cover was also significant (cumulative R²=0.82) with a quadratic relationship.
- Model relationships held across various landscape sizes.
Conclusions:
- Results offer quantitative landscape design parameters to reduce tick and host exposure.
- Clustered forest and herbaceous cover, rather than interspersion, minimizes Lyme disease risk.
- Higher-density development reducing forest-herbaceous edge also limits exposure.