Giant Study Reveals Over 14% of The World Has Probably Had Lyme Disease

According to the review, more than 14 percent of the world's population has had a tick-borne illness.

The study found that men over the age of 50 living in rural areas were most at risk of getting an infectious disease.

People who are bitten by a tick can get a rash and experience flu-like symptoms.

The researchers pooled data from 89 studies to figure out how common the disease is.

The Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb), which causes the disease, was found in about 15% of participants' blood.

The researchers said that this is the most comprehensive and up-to-date systematic review of the prevalence of the disease.

The regions with the highest rates were Eastern Asia, Western Europe and Eastern Europe.

The Caribbean had a low rate.

ThePrevalence of tick-borne diseases has doubled in the last 12 years

Climate change, animal migration, habitat loss, and increasing pet contact are some of the reasons for the rise.

The study found that people who regularly interact with animals like dogs and sheep were more likely to get bitten by a tick.

It warned that the data could be skewed due to the fact that health workers are more likely to test for the disease in areas where it's more common.

The use of western blotting could improve the accuracy of future studies, according to the study.

Agence France- Presse.