Cases of the tick-borne infection Lyme disease have risen sharply in Scotland, possibly due to climate change and people spending more time outdoors during the pandemic.
Public Health Scotland (PHS), which monitors the prevalence of key illnesses, has reported a 70 per cent surge in the number of diagnoses between 2019 and 2021. Although improved tests may have led to more cases being detected, PHS said that more of the parasites were infesting the Scottish countryside and people enjoying nature.
The number of people who developed the disease, which is spread through bites from infected ticks, rose from 308 in 2019 to 529 in 2021.
Read more at: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/covid-walks-blamed-for-rise-in-lyme-disease-cases-in-scotland-z7ksnnbzg
