Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology (CBIC) Practice Exam 2025 – The All-in-One Guide for Exam Success

The choice of Lyme disease as a common vector-borne disease is based on its transmission pathways and epidemiology. Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and is primarily spread to humans through the bite of infected black-legged ticks (also known as deer ticks). This makes it a classic example of a vector-borne disease, where the tick acts as the vector carrying the pathogen from one host to another.

Although West Nile Virus, Dengue Fever, and Malaria are indeed significant vector-borne diseases, Lyme disease is particularly notable in specific regions, especially in the United States and Europe, where it has seen an increase in incidence due to the growing populations of ticks and changing land use patterns. Understanding the relationships between vectors, hosts, and pathogens is essential in epidemiology and infection control, highlighting the importance of measures to prevent tick bites and manage tick populations to reduce incidents of Lyme disease.

In this context, Lyme disease serves as a pertinent example illustrating the complexities of vector-borne disease transmission and control efforts necessary in public health.