J R Coll Physicians Edinb 2011; 41:5–8 Paper doi:10.4997/JRCPE.2011.102 © 2011 Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh Is Tayside becoming a Scottish hotspot for CLINICAL Lyme borreliosis? 1GS Slack, 2S Mavin, 3D Yirrell, 4DO Ho-Yen 1Trainee Clinical Scientist, Medical Microbiology Department, Ninewells Hospital & Medical School, Dundee; 2Clinical Scientist, National Lyme Borreliosis Testing Laboratory, Microbiology Department, Raigmore Hospital, Inverness; 3Consultant Clinical Scientist, Medical Microbiology Department, Ninewells Hospital & Medical School, Dundee; 4Head of Microbiology Department, Raigmore Hospital, Inverness, UK ABSTRACT The epidemiology of Lyme borreliosis (LB) in Tayside was studied and Correspondence to GS Slack, compared with Highland (an area of high endemicity) and the rest of Scotland. Medical Microbiology Department, From April 2001 to March 2008 the incidence of LB in Tayside rose from an Ninewells Hospital & Medical estimated 2.57 to 5.84 per 100,000 population. In 2008/09 the incidence of LB in School, Dundee DD1 9SY, UK Tayside increased further to an estimated 13.85 per 100,000 population. This rise tel. +44 (0)1382 632855 was significant and, although numerically less than that in Highland (37.24 to 49.69 e-mail
[email protected] per 100,000 population), it was proportionally much larger (137% vs 33%) and confirmed that LB in Tayside has diverged from that in non-endemic Scottish regions. The dramatic rise of LB in Tayside cannot be accounted for by changes in laboratory protocol or changes in the number or demographics of patients tested. However, changes in climatic conditions and alterations in clinical presentations may have contributed to this significant rise.