Seroprevalence of tick-borne infections in forestry rangers from northeastern Italy.
The aim of this study was to estimate the seroprevalence of antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi, Anaplasma phagocitophilum and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus, and risk factors, in forestry rangers from the Friuli-Venezia-Giulia region in northeastern Italy. Sera from 181 forestry rangers were examined with two-tiered serological tests for TBE, Lyme borreliosis and ehrlichiosis. Information about risk factors such as job location, residence, number of tick bites and outdoor leisure activities was collected with a questionnaire. Seropositivity was 0.6% for TBE virus, 23.2% for Lyme borreliosis and 0.6% for ehrlichiosis. Lyme borreliosis positivity, as determined by Western blot, was associated with working in the foothills, with gardening in the northeastern part of the region, and with a history of yearly tick bites. Risk factors were similar when a case of Lyme borreliosis was defined either by Western blot positivity or by clinical history.
Cinco
M
M
Laboratorio Spirochete, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Università di Trieste, Trieste, Italy. cinco@dsb.units.it
Barbone
F
F
Grazia Ciufolini
M
M
Mascioli
M
M
Anguero Rosenfeld
M
M
Stefanel
P
P
Luzzati
R
R
D000328:Adult; D041081:Anaplasma phagocytophilum / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D025065:Borrelia burgdorferi / Q000276:immunology; D016873:Ehrlichiosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D004669:Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne / Q000276:immunology; D004675:Encephalitis, Tick-Borne / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D016468:Forestry; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D017282:Tick-Borne Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000914:Antibodies, Viral