LYME-DISEASE IN SOUTH-AFRICA

Objective. This article presents an overview of Lyme disease (LD) as i t applies to neuropsychiatry and summarises research results on the ep idemiology of LD in South Africa. Method. The study is based on a revi ew of research papers from various medical disciplines that focused on the epidemiology of LD in South Africa. Results. Assessment of the in cidence of LD in South Africa is based on a few anecdotal studies, The results of the studies are dominated by experimental weaknesses. Conc lusions. The sporadic nature of LD incidence in South Africa may eithe r reflect a restriction of research efforts or be a true indication of the epidemiology of the disease, This review lends support to the for mer hypothesis. The low reported incidence of LD in South Africa is pr obably due to a lack of awareness and research effort.