Introduction and objective. The aim of the presented cross-sectional sero-epidemiological study was to determine the current presence of antibodies against B. burgdorferi s.l. in the high-risk groups of the Slovak population, and to identify potential risk factors to LB infections. Materials and method. A group of 277 agricultural and forestry workers -persons with frequent stay in the countryside and employees of State Border and Customs Police -from years 2011-2012 in the Eastern Slovakia were examined in order to assess the seroprevalence of anti-Borrelia antibodies. Sera were screened by commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The study subjects completed a questionnaires with general demographic, epidemiological and clinical data. The results were evaluated statistically. Results. A 25.3% presence of positive and 8.7% presence of borderline IgG antibodies was detected in all investigated groups. The seroprevalence of B. burgdorferi s.l. was significantly higher (P<0.05) among the agricultural and forestry workers when compared to employees of State Border and Customs Police. Higher seropositivity was observed in older subjects over 30 years of age (P=0.004) than those who were younger, and also in males (P=0.045). A significant number of persons with rheumatologic conditions was statistically higher (P=0.020) in the group with seropositivity than in the group with seronegativity. Conclusions. The presented study confirms the higher risk of Borrelia infection in individuals with frequent exposure to ticks in eastern Slovakia. The seropositivity tests confirmed the highest seropositivity in agriculture and forestry workers, middle positivity was confirmed among other sector workers, and lowest positivity in policemen and employees of the Customs and Border Inspection. The outputs also simultaneously filling the gap of missing seroprevalence data among these exposed groups.

SUMMARYObjective: The aim of the study was to determine the seroprevalence of three zoonotic infections among healthy blood donors/volunteers in Eastern Slovakia.Methods: Sera from 124 blood donors were investigated for the presence of antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi, Francisella tularensis and Leptospira pomona. The participants also completed the questionnaire about demographic, exposure and epidemiological characteristics. Two serological methods were used for the diagnosis: the enzyme linked protein A/G assay (ELPAGA) and the Western blot (WB). First, sera were screened by ELPAGA (except for leptospirosis).Results: The observed seroprevalence was 15% for Lyme borreliosis (LB) and 4% for tularaemia (TUL). The results were confirmed by WB. Positive IgG antibodies (WB method) were detected only in 1.6% of examined for LB and 0.8% for TUL. Our results did not identify any antibodies against Leptospira pomona agent in the examined healthy blood donors group.Conclusions: ELPAGA seroprevalence for TUL was significantly higher in blood donors working in the agricultural area in the direct contact with hay, straw, manure, and agricultural land. Our outputs determine tick bite as a significant risk factor for LB. The study confirms the explosion of tick-borne diseases in the healthy population of people. The exposure risk for leptospirosis seems to be minimal.

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is caused by tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), a virus species of the genus Flavivirus within the Flaviviridae family. In Western Europe, TBEV is transmitted primarily by the Ixodes ricinus (I. ricinus) tick. During the last 30 years, there has been a continued increase in human cases of TBE in Europe. A total number of 102 cases in Slovakia was reported in 2012 (1.89/100,000), with two local outbreaks after the ingestion of raw milk and dairy products. Active vaccination is the most effective method of preventing TBE. According to the available data in Slovakia from 2012, 8,491 children under 15 years of age were vaccinated that year, which, when compared to 2009 with approximately 17,000 vaccinated children, represents a decrease of more than 50%. The data on vaccination of adults are not available, but the estimated vaccination coverage in Slovakia is around 1% (1.3/100,000). The education of the population is also an important precautionary measure in the prevention of tick-borne illnesses.