According to CDC surveillance statistics, only 52 cases of Lyme disease have been reported in Arizona in the past 10 years. These statistics may be misleading. Reported cases reflect the “tip of the iceberg,” or only a fraction of the true cases. The CDC states there are approximately 30,000 reported cases of Lyme in the US, and acknowledges that it is under-reported by 10 fold. This means that there are a minimum of 200,000 cases in the US that meet the CDC standard of diagnosis.
There are over 25 species of ticks in Arizona that may carry Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Tularemia, Babesia and tick fever, as well as Lyme disease. If the tick that bites you is infected, it can inject Lyme bacteria into your bloodstream within hours of attachment. The bacteria can also invade your brain and nervous system in less than 24 hours.
There is a Arizona Lyme Disease Association and is there an answer – YES. As with any wildlife issue, there will almost always be a bug problem. Wildlife can be cute and can also carry diseases and parasites. So why not prevent the issue without harming the wildlife. How is this possible you say? Brochure Tick Control
The mice or ground squirrels enter the box, feed on the non-toxic food and get a combing of fipronil on their fur. They can then carry this back to nest-mates and it absorbs into their skin, killing ticks or fleas that bite and suck their blood.
Here is another article “Lyme Disease in the U.S. is 10-times underreported.”