<abstract xml:lang="en" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Lyme borreliosis is the most frequent anthropozoonosis in the Northern Hemisphere. The primary vector of disease transmission is the tick Ixodes ricinus (in Europe), and given its seasonal activity, the highest incidence of the disease early stages is in summer. People professionally exposed to a tick and other insect bite have a higher prevalence of positive serum antibody levels compared to the general population. The aim of this prospective study was to determine the levels of positive antibodies in professional soldiers after a tick bite, and also to determine the risk of occupational infection - Lyme disease.</p><p>We analyzed the serum samples taken from 95 professional soldiers, who were exposed to ticks in July 2010. The sera were taken 6 weeks after the exposure to ticks (Ixodes) in the mountains of Javorie. The ELISA method was used to examine the sera at the Institute of Microbiology in Ruzomberok, General Military Hospital. In the case of positive antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi, the Western blot method was used. The risk of infection was 6.31 %.</p></abstract>

Lyme borreliosis is the most frequent anthropozoonosis in the Northern Hemisphere. The primary vector of disease transmission is the tick Ixodes ricinus (in Europe), and given its seasonal activity, the highest incidence of the disease early stages is in summer. People professionally exposed to a tick and other insect bite have a higher prevalence of positive serum antibody levels compared to the general population. The aim of this prospective study was to determine the levels of positive antibodies in professional soldiers after a tick bite, and also to determine the risk of occupational infection - Lyme disease.We analyzed the serum samples taken from 95 professional soldiers, who were exposed to ticks in July 2010. The sera were taken 6 weeks after the exposure to ticks (Ixodes) in the mountains of Javorie. The ELISA method was used to examine the sera at the Institute of Microbiology in Ruzomberok, General Military Hospital. In the case of positive antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi, the Western blot method was used. The risk of infection was 6.31 %.

Lyme Borreliosis - Risk of Occupational Infection

Clinic of Infectology and Travel Medicine, Jessenius Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital, Martin, Slovak Republic

Acta Medica Martiniana

{"article-title":"Lyme Borreliosis - Risk of Occupational Infection"}

Lyme borreliosis is the most frequent anthropozoonosis in the Northern Hemisphere. The primary vector of disease transmission is the tick Ixodes ricinus (in...

Lyme Borreliosis - Risk of Occupational Infection

Published Online: Oct 05, 2011

Page range: 40 - 44

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/v10201-011-0016-6

Keywords
Lyme borreliosis, Borrelia burgdorferi, Ixodes ricinus, ELISA, Western Blot

This content is open access.

Lyme Borreliosis - Risk of Occupational Infection

Published Online: Oct 05, 2011

Page range: 40 - 44

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/v10201-011-0016-6

KeywordsLyme borreliosis, Borrelia burgdorferi, Ixodes ricinus, ELISA, Western Blot

This content is open access.

Keywords
Lyme borreliosis, Borrelia burgdorferi, Ixodes ricinus, ELISA, Western Blot