A new study in JAMA Network Open finds Lyme disease costs the U.S. healthcare system up to $1 billion annually, highlighting its significant economic burden. The financial impact varies drastically: while localized cases cost about $695, disseminated cases (where infection spreads) cost over $6,800 per episode. Although only 22% of patients had disseminated disease, it accounted for nearly 70% of the total Lyme-specific healthcare costs analyzed. The problem is growing, as the geographic range of ticks expands and reported cases surge, with 89,470 cases officially recorded in 2023—the highest since 1996. The research, funded by companies developing a Lyme vaccine, serves as a data-driven…

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