Killing ticks in an area reduces the number carrying the main bacterium that causes Lyme disease, but a large study found it does not lead to fewer reports of people getting sick
Health
9 February 2023
Chemical sprays that kill ticks seem to be ineffective at preventing the spread of Lyme disease
Shutterstock/New Africa
Tick-killing chemicals may not be enough to reduce rates of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases on their own. The largest study of its kind on using tick control to prevent disease found killing ticks reduced the number and proportion of ticks carrying the main bacterium that causes Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi), but did not lead to fewer reports of people getting sick.
Rates of Lyme disease in the US have increased several-fold in …
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