Exposure to ticks and seroprevalence of [i]Borrelia burgdorferi [/i]among a healthy young population living in the area of southern Podlasie, Poland
Journal Title: Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine - Year 2014, Vol 21, Issue 3
Abstract
[b]Objectives[/b]. The objective of the study was assessment of risk of infection with [i]Borrelia burgdorferi[/i] in the area of southern Podlasie in Poland, near the border with Belarus, by analysis of post-exposure procedure, and evaluation of asymptomatic infection in adolescents bitten by a tick, confirmed by serologic tests. [b]Material and methods[/b]. The study was conducted among 128 healthy individuals aged 16–20 who declared being bitten by a tick. The level of IgM and IgG class antibodies was determined using the immunoenzymatic test (Borrelia 14 kD + OspC IgM ELISA and Borrelia IgG + VlsE ELISA, DRG Diagnostics). Positive and doubtful results were confirmed using the Western blot method (EUROLINE-WB, EUROIMMUN). [b]Results[/b]. In the study group, the largest number of respondents (59.4%) declared tick bite in the region of the lower extremities, most often in the knee pit. Among the methods for removing the tick the largest number of respondents indicated removing it with the use of tweezers, with a simple, swift steady movement (29.7%), and pulling it out with the fingers (22.7%). In the ELISA test, a positive or doubtful result in at least one class was observed in 25.0% of respondents (n=32/128): in IgM class – 23.4% (n=30/128), and in IgG class – 4.7% (n=6/128). After verification with the Western blot test, infection was confirmed in 5.5% of respondents (n=7/128): in IgM class – 1.6% (n=2/128), in IgG class – 3.9% (n=5/128). In IgM class antibodies, the Western blot test confirmed positive or doubtful results of the ELISA test in 6.7%, while in IgG class antibodies in 83.3%. [b]Conclusion[/b]. Evaluation of the actual infection with [i]Borrelia spp.[/i] using serologic tests is difficult due to a certain non-specificity of the ELISA test, especially in IgM class antibodies, and difficulties with performance of a wide scope of specific Western blot tests. The variety of methods of tick removal declared by adolescents suggests that a wider education of society concerning appropriate methods of removing the tick should become an especially important element of prophylactic actions in the area of borreliosis.
Authors and Affiliations
Anna Pańczuk, Maria Kozioł-Montewka, Małgorzata Tokarska-Rodak
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP80827
- DOI -
- Views 115
- Downloads 0
<strong>Persistent colonization of 2 hospital water supplies by <em>L. pneumophila</em> strains through 7 years - Sequence-based typing and serotyping as useful tools for a complex risk analysis. </strong>
Contamination with[i] Legionella[/i] spp. of hot water system (HWS) in hospitals is a considerable problem and elimination of bacteria poses difficulties. Obligatory control of [i]Legionella[/i] spp. in hospital HWS was...
The role of weight training in treating farmers with lumbar discopathy
Introduction: Weight training can have a very positive impact on the body by improving both the functioning of internal organs and motor coordination. Weakening of the muscles leads to spinal pain, which in turn reduces...
Hygiene, ways of storage and lifetime of removable dentures
Hygiene plays an important role in patients who use removable dentures. The proper way of cleaning and storage also provides better health of oral cavity tissues as well as for the remaining teeth. The research involved...
The use of aerobiological data on agronomical studies.
Pollination is ony one of the many events comprising the plant development cycle; however, it is extremely important for yield where seed is required. Although successful fertilization depends on a number of environmenta...
Passive smoking as an environmental health risk factor
Initially, tobacco was considered as a decorative plant and only later began to be treated as a herb with special therapeutic properties. With time, it was found that tobacco had strong insecticidal and addictive propert...