Summaries for U.S. Army Lyme Disease Risk Assessments ************************************************************************** Sorted by Date (with extracted remarks) as of 13 December 1999 Summaries of 178 U.S. Army Lyme Disease Risk Assessments (LDRA) obtained via Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. If the facility is followed by an asterisk (*), the complete study can be found on the Lyme Disease Risk Assessements web page at: http://www.utech.net/users/10766/lyme.htm If you would like one of the other studies put on the web page or snail mailed to you, contact me at: doherty@utech.net Include the name of facility, date of study, and mailing address. My addresses are shown at the end of this document. NOTE: According to the FOIA officer at U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine (USACHPPM), via personal communication, the "Distribution limited" statement on the front of these studies may be ignored. The importance of these studies, if you live in an area local to one of the facilities that has a risk for Lyme disease, is that your doctor is not correct when he says, "You could not possibly have Lyme disease, there is no Lyme disease in the area." Legend: col 1 - Facility col 2 - City col 3 - County col 4 - State col 5 - Month facility study was completed. col 6 - Year facility study was completed. col 7 - Was Lyme disease tick (T) found on facility? col 8 - Were any ticks infected with Bb spirochete (TB)? col 9 - Were any wild animals infected with Bb spirochete (AB)? col 10 - Were there any human cases of Lyme disease at facility (FCs)? col 11 - Were there any human cases of Lyme disease in local area (ACs)? col 12 - Risk, as stated in report. MOD = Moderate, POTL = Potential, SOME = My interpretation of Army's wording NOTE: If an item is blank, it was not reported in the study. Remarks are direct quotes and follow the study for which they apply. 1 (column numbers) 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 101112 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- T A F A Facility City County ST MON YEAR T B B CsCsRISK -------------------- ------------- -------------- -- --- ---- - - - - - ---- Ft McCoy * Sparta Monroe WI JUN 1996 Y N N Y HIGH Remarks: "During the summer of 1991 there were 473 individuals with attached ticks examined at the Troop Medical Clinic. Of these individuals, five were diagnosed as positive for Lyme disease. Information was not available on the number of individuals reporting to the clinic for tick-bite from 1992-1996." Camp Ripley * Little Falls Morrison MN MAY 1996 Y Y Y Y Remarks: "The use of personal protective measures is highly recommended to lower the risk of acquiring any tick-borne disease for all .... using Camp Ripley for outdoor training or recreation." Grand Forks AFB * ND JUL 1995 Y N N N N LOW Marine Corps Recruit Depot * Parris Island SC MAY 1995 Y MOD Elgin Air Force Base * Santa Rosa/Okaloosa/Walton FL MAY 1995 Y Y N MOD Little Rock Air Force Base * Pulaski AR APR 1995 Y Y Y Y HIGH Naval Submarine Base-New London * New London CT APR 1995 Y Y Y Y HIGH Vandenberg AFB * Lompoc Santa Barbara CA FEB 1995 Y Y Y Y Y HIGH Dover Air Force Base * Kent DE NOV 1994 Y Y Y Y HIGH Ft Knox * Hardin KY NOV 1994 N Y Y MOD Ft Riley Junction City Clay/Geary/Riley KS NOV 1994 N LOW Ft Leonard Wood * MO NOV 1994 Y N N SOME Remarks: "The risk of acquiring Lyme disease at Fort Leonard Wood does exist .." "The adults of this species of tick [I. scapularis] have been collected in large numbers from deer at Fort Leonard Wood over the last several years, and a number of these ticks have been positive for spirochetes." Camp Bullis Camp Bullis Bexar TX SEP 1994 N N Remarks: "The Texas Department of Health reported no confirmed cases of LD during 1994. A total of 4 cases of LD disease were reported between 1983 and 1984 in Bexar County." Camp Grafton Devils Lake Ramsey/Eddy ND AUG 1994 N N LOW Remarks: One I. angustus, which as been implicated as a vector of Lyme disease to humans in Oregon, was collected from a rodent at Camp Grafton..." Missouri National Guard in Southeastern MO MO JUL 1994 N N Remarks: "The tick I. scapularis is the major vector of Lyme disease in the United States. However, it does not readily bite humans in Missouri and may not play an important role in transmitting diseases to humans in the state. Previous studies suggest that I. scapularis is spreading a spirochete that is genetically similar to an isolate of B. burgdorferi from the northeastern United States. It is unknown if this spirochete is pathogenic to man." Ft Leonard Wood MO JUL 1994 Y SOME Remarks: "A genetically similar spirochete to B. burgdorferi have also been found on the installation." Ft Stewart * Fort Stewart GA APR 1994 N N POTL Remarks: "[in the past] Black-legged ticks have been captured on Fort Stewart and many of these were positive for the Borrelia burgdorferi the species responsible for Lyme disease." NOTE: The following paragraph is included in many of the Army's 1993 Lyme Disease Risk Assessments: "The number of reported cases of Lyme disease received by the DA OTSG [Department of the Army, Office of the Surgeon General], however, has declined sharply over the past 5 years: year(number of cases): 1989(113); 1990(70); 1991(26); 1992(14); 1993(9). Public awarness and Lyme disease prevention programs may have contributed to a decline in the number of cases reported, but inconsistent reporting is a more likely explanation. The lack of a rapid, reliable, and cost effective diagnostic test for Lyme disease is a problem and can result in over- or under-reporting. The increased burden of reports of all kinds on medical treatment facilities may also be a factor. Personnel concerned with Lyme disease prevention and control should not assume that human risk of lyme disease has changed based on the number of reported cases alone. The need to protect soldiers and other personnel working on Army installations has increased with the documented spread of this disease." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- T A F A Facility City County ST MON YEAR T B B CsCsRISK -------------------- ------------- -------------- -- --- ---- - - - - - ---- Ft Stewart * Fort Stewart GA DEC 1993 Y Y N Remarks: "Some researchers suggest there is a "Lyme-like" disease that is transmitted by another unidentified Borrelia species found inhabiting the midgut of ticks collected from the southern United States which is not the same causative agent (Borrelia burgdorferi) of the typical Lyme disease found in the northeast United States." Blossom Pt Test Fac * Charles MD DEC 1993 Y Y Y Y HIGH Woodbridge Rsrch Fac * Adelphi Prince William VA DEC 1993 Y Y MOD Ft Knox * Hardin KY NOV 1993 N Y Y MOD Ft Hunter Liggett * King City Monterey CA NOV 1993 Y N N N Y MOD Ft Hood * TX NOV 1993 Y N Y SOME Ft Eustis * Norfolk James City VA NOV 1993 Y Y Y HIGH Ft Pickett * Nottoway VA NOV 1993 Y Y Y MOD Remarks: "Borrelia burgdorferi, the Lyme disease etiologic agent, was detected in other tick species removed from humans on Fort Pickett." Ft A.P. Hill Bowling Green Caroline VA NOV 1993 Y Y N HIGH Remarks: "Five of 110 I. scapularis tested positive for spirochetes belonging to the genus Borrelia; however, none tested positive for Borrelia burgdorferi, the Lyme disease-causing spirochete." "It cannot be assumed that spirochetes detected and identified as B. burgdorferi, using currently available methods, are the only Borrelia that may cause Lyme disease-like symptoms." McAlester A.A.P. * McAlester Pittsburg OK NOV 1993 Y N Y SOME Ft Bragg Fayetteville Cumberland/Hoke NC NOV 1993 Y N Y SOME McAlester A.A.P. McAlester Pittsburg OK SEP 1993 Y N SOME Ft Belvoir * Fairfax VA SEP 1993 Y Y Y Y HIGH Camp Frank D. Merrill * Dahlonega GA SEP 1993 N Y SOME Ft Polk LA SEP 1993 N POTL Remarks: "The lack of ticks on Fort Polk is more than likely related to the heavy fire ant infestation of Fort Polk. Fire ants are known to readily prey on ticks. However,...the potential for contracting Lyme disease,....exists to anyone training or recreating in the field." Ft McClellan Anniston Calhoun AL AUG 1993 Y N Ft Benning Fort Benning Muscogee GA AUG 1993 Y N N Redstone Arsenal Redstone Arsenal AL AUG 1993 N Remarks: "Although none of the ticks tested positive for the Borrelia burgdorferi spirochetes, Lyme and other tick-borne diseases are known to occur in the Redstone Arsenal area." Camp Robinson * Pulaski AR JUL 1993 Y N Y Savanna Army Depot * Savanna Jo Daviess/Carrol IL JUL 1993 Y N N N N LOW Badger A.A.P. * Baraboo Sauk WI JUL 1993 Y N N N Y MOD Ft Campbell Fort Campbell KY JUL 1993 Y N Arnold AF Station Tullahoma TN JUL 1993 Y N Ft Drum * NY JUL 1993 Y N N LOW Lake City A.A.P. * Independence Jackson MO JUN 1993 Y N N N Y LOW Remarks: " The ability of Amblyomma americanum [Lone Star tick] to transmit Lyme disease is still in question. Some researches suggest there is a "Lyme-like" disease that is transmitted by ticks, most probably A. americanum. ...B. burgdorferi has not been found in patients with the "Lyme-like" disease." Ft Riley * Junction City Clay/Geary/Riley KS JUN 1993 Y N N N LOW Ft Indiantown Gap Annville Lebanon PA JUN 1993 N N Y LOW Ft Leavenworth Leavenworth KS JUN 1993 N N N N LOW Ft Lee * Fort Lee Prince George VA MAY 1993 Y N Y N MOD Ft Sill * Comanche OK MAY 1993 Y N Y SOME Yakima Training Ctr * Yakima Yakima WA MAY 1993 Y N N N LOW Camp Ripley * Little Falls Morrison MN FEB 1993 Y Y HIGH Ft Leonard Wood MO MAR 1993 Y N Remarks: "Discussions within the scientific community about what is happening with Lyme disease in Missouri are ongoing. Seventeen cases of Lyme disease, originating at Fort Leonard Wood, were reported to the Office of the Surgeon General in 1987; an additional 15 cases were reported in 1988 (unpublished). Even after the criterion of a Lyme disease case was changed in 1992, some Missouri physicians, especially in the Cape Girardeau area, still diagnosed this disease on the basis of clinical symptoms without laboratory confirmation. Dr. W. Burgdorfer is skeptical of these diagnoses (personal communication). This is not to say that these patients are not afflicted with a Lyme-like B. burgdorferi. This may explain why the spirochete B. burgdorferi has not been located in culture from ticks or rodents collected from Fort Leonard Wood." Ft Hood TX FEB 1993 Y N Y SOME Ft Hunter Liggett King City Monterey CA FEB 1993 N N Y LOW Picatinny Arsenal * Morris NJ JAN 1993 Y Y Y Y HIGH Camp Roberts Paso Robles Monterey CA JAN 1993 N N LOW Remarks: "...additional collections are needed before accurately being able to determine the risk of contracting Lyme disease on Camp Roberts. Spirochetes that cause Lyme disease have been found in ticks collected in Monterey County." Camp Pendleton San Diego CA JAN 1993 Y N N MOD ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- T A F A Facility City County ST MON YEAR T B B CsCsRISK -------------------- ------------- -------------- -- --- ---- - - - - - ---- Ft Knox Hardin KY DEC 1992 N N N N N LOW Ft Ritchie Washington MD DEC 1992 N N Y Y LOW Remarks: "Nineteen (18%) of the 105 deer examined at Thurmont [deer check station, not located on the Fort but nearby] were infected with I. scapularis." Ft Stewart * Fort Stewart GA DEC 1992 Y N Y Lexington-Blue Grass Richmond Kentucky/Madison KY DEC 1992 N N N Y LOW Ft Rucker * Fort Rucker Coffee/Dale AL DEC 1992 Y Y N N Ft Sill Comanche OK DEC 1992 Y N Y Camp Edwards * Bourne Worcester/Barnstable MA DEC 1992 Y Y Y Y HIGH Ft Polk LA NOV 1992 Y N Ft Benning * Fort Benning Muscogee GA NOV 1992 Y Y SOME Seneca Army Depot Romulus Seneca NY NOV 1992 N N N LOW Ft Campbell Fort Campbell KY NOV 1992 N Remarks: Blood sera addendum only Ft Chaffee Fort Chaffee AR NOV 1992 Y Remarks: Blood sera addendum only Camp Grayling Crawford MI NOV 1992 N N LOW Ft A.P. Hill * Bowling Green Caroline VA NOV 1992 Y Y Y Y HIGH Camp Bullis * Camp Bullis Bexar TX NOV 1992 Y N Y SOME Ft Jackson Fort Jackson Richland SC NOV 1992 Y N Y SOME Ft Bragg * Fayetteville Cumberland/Hoke NC OCT 1992 Y N N MOD Remarks: "One of the 56 ticks [I. scapularis] tested positive for Borrelia spp. [causes the old Lyme-like illness!], but was found to be negative for B. burgdorferi." Ft McCoy * Sparta Monroe WI SEP 1992 Y Y HIGH Vandenberg AFB Lompoc Santa Barbara CA AUG 1992 N N Y LOW Ft Jackson * Fort Jackson Richland SC AUG 1992 Y N Y SOME Ft McClellan Anniston Calhoun AL AUG 1992 N N Y POTL USA Recreation Area Cartersville Bartow GA JUL 1992 N N LOW Ft Ritchie Washington MD JUL 1992 N N Y LOW Gunpowder Mil Res * Glen Arm Baltimore MD JUL 1992 Y N N Y MOD Camp Ripley * Little Falls Morrison MN JUN 1992 Y Y Y N Y HIGH Stones Ranch Mil Res * East Lyme New London CT JUN 1992 Y Y Y HIGH Camp Smith * Peekskill Westchester NY JUN 1992 Y Y Y HIGH Tobyhanna Army Depot * Tobyhanna Monroe PA JUN 1992 Y Y N Y MOD US Military Academy * West Point Orange NY JUN 1992 N Y Y MOD Camp Curtis Guild * Reading Middlesex MA JUN 1992 Y N N Y LOW Camp Rilea * Clatsop OR JUN 1992 Y N N N LOW Sea Girt Tng Center * Sea Girt Monmouth NJ JUN 1992 Y Y N Y LOW Ft Monmouth * Eatontown Monmouth NJ JUN 1992 Y N N Y LOW Walter Reed Med Ctr * Washington Montgomery DC MAY 1992 Y N Y Y MOD Weldon Spring MO MAY 1992 N N LOW Ft Belvoir Fairfax VA MAY 1992 Y Y Y HIGH Ft Leonard Wood MO MAY 1992 Y N N Y Y MOD Camp Pendleton San Diego CA APR 1992 Y Y Y N Y MOD Remarks: "Even though the criteria suggest a High risk, the actual risk to troops training in the field is probably a moderate risk based on the relative low population of I. pacificus encountered during the assessment and also due to the low competency of this tick vector." "Laboratory analysis .... during the 1991 fall deer hunt showed that 18 (15 percent) western black-legged ticks, I. pacificus and 1 (3 percent) Pacific Coast tick, Dermacentor occidentalis, examined by immunofluorescent staining were positive for spirochetes. In addition... 100 blood samples were taken from deer...; 19 (19 percent) tested positive for the presence of antibodies to B. burgdorferi." In 1992 42 percent of deer blood samples were positive for the presence of antibodies. Ft Sill * Comanche OK MAR 1992 Y Y N SOME Remarks: "The State Epidemiologist Office stated that one Lyme disease case was reported in 1991 from Comanche County, the county in which Fort Sill is located." "Fort Sill MEDDAC reported seven admissions for Lyme disease in 1991." Marine Corps Log. Base * Albany Daugherty GA JAN 1992 Y Y N SOME Woodbridge Research Adelphi(MD)Prince William(VA) MD JAN 1992 Y Y Y N Y MOD Facility * ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- T A F A Facility City County ST MON YEAR T B B CsCsRISK -------------------- ------------- -------------- -- --- ---- - - - - - ---- Ft Stewart * Fort Stewart GA DEC 1991 Y Y N SOME addendum only Ft Dix * Wrightstown Burlington/Ocean NJ DEC 1991 Y Y Y Y HIGH Naval Wpns St. Earle * Colts Neck NJ DEC 1991 Y Y N Y HIGH Ft Indiantown Gap * Annville Lebanon PA DEC 1991 Y N N Y MOD Nvl Srvc Warfare Ctr * Dahlgren King George VA DEC 1991 Y N N Y MOD Lakehurst Nvl Air CtrLakehurst NJ DEC 1991 N POTL Ft Rucker * Fort Rucker Coffee/Dale AL DEC 1991 Y N N Y SOME addendum only Naval Air Station * Patuxent River St. Mary's MD DEC 1991 Y Y Y Y Y HIGH Ft Devens * Middlesex/Worcester MA DEC 1991 Y N N Y MOD Camp Edwards Bourne Worcester/Barnstable MA DEC 1991 Y Y Y N Y HIGH Ft McClellan * Anniston Calhoun AL DEC 1991 Y N N Y SOME McAlester A.A.P. McAlester Pittsburg OK DEC 1991 Y N N SOME Ft George G. Meade * Anne Arundel MD NOV 1991 Y Y Y Y HIGH Holston A.A.P. Kingsport Hawkins/Sullivan TN NOV 1991 N N Ft Chaffee * Fort Chaffee AR NOV 1991 Y Y Y SOME Ft Ritchie Washington MD NOV 1991 N N N Y LOW Redstone Arsenal * Redstone Arsenal AL NOV 1991 Y SOME addendum only Columbus AFB * Columbus MS NOV 1991 Y Y N SOME Marine Cmbt Dev Cmd * Quantico Prince William VA NOV 1991 Y N Y Y Y HIGH Ft A.P. Hill * Bowling Green Caroline VA NOV 1991 Y Y N Y Y HIGH Nvl Srvc Warfare Ctr * Indian Head Charles MD NOV 1991 Y N N Y MOD Ft Benning * Fort Benning Muscogee GA NOV 1991 Y Y Y SOME addendum only Ft Drum NY NOV 1991 N N LOW Volunteer A.A.P. Chattanooga Hamilton TN NOV 1991 N N Ft Campbell * Fort Campbell KY OCT 1991 Y Y Y SOME McAlester A.A.P. * McAlester Pittsburg OK SEP 1991 Y Y Y Ft Bragg Fayetteville Cumberland/Hoke NC AUG 1991 Y Y SOME Iowa A.A.P. * Middleton Des Moines IA AUG 1991 Y N Y Y LOW Ft Drum NY JUN 1991 Y N LOW Camp Blanding * Clay FL JUN 1991 Y Y SOME ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- T A F A Facility City County ST MON YEAR T B B CsCsRISK -------------------- ------------- -------------- -- --- ---- - - - - - ---- Ft Dix Wrightstown Burlington/Ocean NJ DEC 1990 Y Y Y SOME Letterkenny Army Dpt Chambersburg Franklin PA DEC 1990 N N N NONE Ft Bragg * Fayetteville Cumberland/Hoke NC NOV 1990 Y Y Y Y SOME Ft Indiantown Gap * Annville Lebanon PA NOV 1990 Y Y Y LOW Seneca Army Depot Romulus Seneca NY NOV 1990 N N N N NONE Ft Ritchie * Washington MD NOV 1990 Y Y Y Y LOW Remarks: "...although still relatively low, the risk of contracting Lyme disease on or near Fort Ritchie, is increasing." Ft McClellan Anniston Calhoun AL NOV 1990 Y N Ft Eustis * Norfolk James City VA NOV 1990 Y Y Y Y REAL Ft A.P. Hill Bowling Green Caroline VA NOV 1990 Y Y N Y SOME Ft Gordon * Fort Gordon Augusta GA NOV 1990 Y Y N Volunteer A.A.P. Chattanooga Hamilton TN NOV 1990 N Holston A.A.P. * Kingsport Hawkins/Sullivan TN OCT 1990 Y Y Volunteer A.A.P. * Chattanooga Hamilton TN JUL 1990 Y Y McAlester A.A.P. * McAlester Pittsburg OK JUN 1990 Y Y Ft Eustis Norfolk James City VA JUN 1990 Y Y REAL Ft Gordon * Fort Gordon Augusta GA JUN 1990 Y N Y LOW Camp Smith Peekskill Westchester NY MAY 1990 Y N Y SOME Naval Wpns St. Earle * Colts Neck NJ MAY 1990 Y Y Y SOME Remarks: "In July 1985, an Army Reserve unit experienced an outbreak of Lyme disease while training for 5 days at NWSE. By the fifth day of training, 5 percent of the trainees reported sick with Lyme disease symptoms (fever, headaches, myalgia); and 79 percent reported being bitten by ticks. Evaluation of the bitten trainees revealed that 25 percent had contracted Lyme disease. A meeting took place ...." Ft Jackson * Fort Jackson Richland SC APR 1990 Y Y N LOW ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- T A F A Facility City County ST MON YEAR T B B CsCsRISK -------------------- ------------- -------------- -- --- ---- - - - - - ---- Ft A.P. Hill Bowling Green Caroline VA DEC 1989 Y Y Y LOW Ft George G. Meade Anne Arundel MD DEC 1989 Y N Ft Riley * Junction City Clay/Geary/Riley KS NOV 1989 N N Y LOW Ft A.P. Hill Bowling Green Caroline VA NOV 1989 Y Y SOME Remarks: "This [data in this study] clearly show progressive increase in risk to soldiers and others contracting Lyme disease at this post." US Military Academy * West Point Orange NY NOV 1989 Y N Stones Ranch Mil Res * East Lyme New London CT OCT 1989 Y Y Y SOME Camp Ripley Little Falls Morrison MN JUN 1989 Y N N Y LOW Camp Shelby * Hattiesburg MS APR 1989 Y N N N Y LOW Ft Gordon * Fort Gordon Augusta GA MAR 1989 Y SOME Ft Ord * Monterey Monterey CA JAN 1989 Y Y N N Y LOW Ft Hunter Liggett King City Monterey CA JAN 1989 Y N N N Y LOW Camp Roberts * Paso Robles Monterey CA JAN 1989 Y N N N Y LOW ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- T A F A Facility City County ST MON YEAR T B B CsCsRISK -------------------- ------------- -------------- -- --- ---- - - - - - ---- Ft Dix * Wrightstown Burlington/Ocean NJ DEC 1988 Y Y Y Y SOME Iowa A.A.P. * Middleton Des Moines IA DEC 1988 Y N Y Y SOME Ft Indiantown Gap Annville Lebanon PA NOV 1988 N LOW Ft Ritchie Washington MD NOV 1988 Y N Y SOME Ft Lee * Fort Lee Prince George VA NOV 1988 N Y Y SOME Camp Edwards Bourne Worcester/Barnstable MA JUN 1988 Y Y SOME ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- T A F A Facility City County ST MON YEAR T B B CsCsRISK -------------------- ------------- -------------- -- --- ---- - - - - - ---- Ft Sill Comanche OK DEC 1987 Y N POTL Ft Pickett * Nottoway VA NOV 1987 Y N N Y LOW Ft Polk * LA NOV 1987 Y N N N POTL Remarks: "[nationally] it is suspected that numerous cases of Lyme disease continue to go either unreported, undiagnosed, or misdiagnosed." Ft Chaffee Fort Chaffee AR NOV 1987 Y N N POTL Ft McCoy * Sparta Monroe WI NOV 1987 Y Y Y SOME Ft Jackson Fort Jackson Richland SC NOV 1987 Y N N Y POTL Ft Bragg Fayetteville Cumberland/Hoke NC OCT 1987 Y N Ft Campbell Fort Campbell KY OCT 1987 N POTL Ft McCoy Sparta Monroe WI MAY 1987 Y Y Y Y SOME ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- T A F A Facility City County ST MON YEAR T B B CsCsRISK -------------------- ------------- -------------- -- --- ---- - - - - - ---- Tobyhanna Army Depot Tobyhanna Monroe PA DEC 1986 N N NONE Camp Edwards Bourne Worcester/Barnstable MA JUL 1986 Y SOME Aberdeen Proving Grnd Harford MD JUL 1986 Y N POTL ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Camp Edwards Bourne Worcester/Barnstable MA JUN 1985 Y SOME Ft McCoy Sparta Monroe WI MAY 1985 SOME ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ft McCoy Sparta Monroe WI MAY 1983 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- This summary prepared by: Art Doherty doherty@utech.net 4448 Libra Drive Lompoc, CA 93436 (805) 733-5253