Data and Surveillance
Possible cases of Lyme disease are reported to state and local health departments by health care providers and laboratories. State health departments classify cases according to standard criteria outlined in the Lyme disease case definition and report confirmed and probable cases to CDC. The extent of case investigations varies by state. Investigations are often dependent on available resources and staff time. Some states describe their surveillance methods in detail on their health department website.
Each year, approximately 30,000 cases of Lyme disease are reported to CDC by state health departments and the District of Columbia. However, this number does not reflect every case of Lyme disease that is diagnosed in the United States every year. Standard national surveillance is only one way that public health officials can track where a disease is occurring and with what frequency. Recent estimates using other methods suggest that approximately 476,000 people may get Lyme disease each year in the United States.
Maps, graphs, and tables for most recent surveillance year
Describes techniques used to estimate the number people diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease each year
Links to current and previous case definitions
Historical graphs and tables for past Lyme disease data
Surveillance summaries for Lyme disease since 1992
Downloadable datasets, information on interpreting Lyme disease surveillance data, and links to WONDER data
