Introduction: Lyme disease is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato that is transmitted through the bite of infectious ticks. Within the US active duty military component, Lyme is the most frequently reported vector-borne disease. There have not been reports on Lyme disease prevalence in Central America, but reports of travelers who contracted rickettsiosis after their trip to Honduras suggest a need for an increased tick-borne disease surveillance, including Lyme disease. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of Lyme disease in US military personnel deployed to Honduras.
Materials and methods: A retrospective cohort study was designed using pre- and postdeployment sera from 1,640 US military personnel who had been stationed in Honduras for at least 6 months between 2000 and 2021. All postdeployment sera were screened for the presence of IgG antibodies against B. burgdorferi by ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) followed by testing the predeployment sera of individuals with positive postdeployment samples to determine seroconversion.
Results: The postdeployment seropositivity in US military personnel for IgG antibodies against B. burgdorferi was 1.3% (22/1,640) with 0.4% (6/1,640) individuals seroconverted. These results also indicate that 16 US military personnel were exposed to B. burgdorferi before their assignment to Honduras, perhaps because of previous exposure to B. burgdorferi at home.
Conclusion: The 0.4% rate of seroconversion suggested a low-risk threat. Additional testing of potential vectors for B. burgdorferi in the regions would be beneficial to inform active and effective vector control countermeasures in the region to prevent exposure.
Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States 2025.