Sero-epidemiological study of Lyme disease among high-risk population groups in eastern Slovakia

Abstract

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.

Exposure to ticks and undertaking Lyme borreliosis prevention activities among students from Poland and Slovakia

“…In the study conducted at the same University among students of the tourism and recreation faculty, episodes of tick bite were declared by 55.4% [8], and in research among young people from this region of Poland -58.9% [9]. In the study in eastern Slovakia, a history of the tick bite was reported in 37.3% of healthy blood donors [10] and in 87.0% of persons exposed to tick bite [11].…”

The evaluation of hunters and foresters’ knowledge of the possible ways of preventing <i>Borrelia burgdorferi</i> infections

“…Obszar wschodniej Polski (województwo lubelskie) i zachodniej Ukrainy (okolice Tarnopola) są uznane za obszary endemicznego występowania boreliozy z Lyme, zatem problem tej choroby dotyczy ich w podobnym stopniu. Zarówno w Polsce, jak i na Ukrainie ryzyko wystąpienia tej choroby jest wyższe wśród pracowników leśnych oraz osób aktywnych hobbystycznie na obszarach leśnych i w ich okolicach − myśliwych, turystów oraz zbieraczy runa leśnego [1,9]. Na Ukrainie przeciwciała anty-B.…”

“…Zákutná i wsp. [9] wykazali, że wśród osób narażonych na pokłucia przez kleszcze we wschodniej Słowacji 51% respondentów używa repelentów w celu zmniejszenia ryzyka pokłucia. W badaniach Buczek i wsp.…”

Occupational hazards in opinions of forestry employees in Poland

“…Contact with insects, ticks and other animals may be equally perilous, and the substances produced by them: faeces, saliva, blood, venom, are especially dangerous. Also, biological hazards concern the possibility of allergy or poisoning with substances produced by plants or infection with the germs of zoonoses, such as borreliosis (Lyme disease), rabies, tickborne encephalitis and meningitis, or tularemia [17,18,19]. Biological factors occurring in forestry include also the occurrence of allergy of the upper airways as a result of exposure to filamentous fungi, some structures and substances produced by trees (pollens, essential oils, resins), as well as allergens of some caterpillars feeding on trees, or dermatitis as caused by contact with liverworts or lichens [16,20,21,22].…”