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Med. Pr. 2003;54(2)

THE INCIDENCE OF TICK-BORNE ENCEPHALITIS VIRUS AND BORRELIA BURGDORFERI INFECTIONS IN FARMERS OF THE LUBLIN PROVINCE (p. 139-144)

OCENA CZĘSTOŚCI ZAKAŻEŃ WIRUSEM KLESZCZOWEGO ZAPALENIA MÓZGU I KRĘTKAMI BORRELIA BURGDORFERI WŚRÓD ROLNIKÓW INDYWIDUALNYC

Ewa Cisak1, Jolanta Chmielewska-Badora1, Jacek Zwoliński1, Jacek Dutkiewicz1, Elżbieta Patorska-Mach2 1 Z Zakładu Biologicznych Szkodliwości Zawodowych 2 Z PrzychodniChorób Zawodowych Wsi Instytutu Medycyny Wsi w Lublinie

Abstract

The objective of the study was to evaluate the incidence of tick-borne encephalitis virus and Borrelia burgdorferi infections in farmers of the Lublin province. The study involved sero-epidemiological examinations of 242 farmers (the study group)and 50 healthy urban blood donors (the control group). In both tick-transmitted diseases, the frequency of sero-positive reactions was significantly higher in farmers than in controls. Serological examinations for the detection of tick-borne encephalitis showed 17.3% of positive results among farmers, and only 6.0% (p < 0.05) in the control group.
The presence of specific antibodies IgG against Borrelia burgdorferi was observed in 15.3% of the farmers versus 4.0% (p < 0.05) in controls. In the IgM class,14.0% of farmers showed positive reactions to B.burgdorferi, while in the control group no sero-positive reactions were noted (p < 0.01). The results of the study indicate that farmers are at increased risk of infection with zoonotictick-transmitted diseases.

Key words

tick-borne encephalitis, borreliosis, farmers, serology, clinical cases, Lublin province