[Lyme borreliosis in Bosnia and Herzegovina--clinical, laboratory and epidemiological research].
Lyme borreliosis is multisistemic zoonosis that is transmitted from animals to humans by ticks of the Ixodes ricinus complex, which presents vectors for causative organism. Lyme borreliosis is caused by Borelia burgdorferi sensu lato, which has four different species. Objective of this research was to investigate frequency of borreliosis on our material, to determine seasonal yearly distribution of disease and to investigate variability of clinical forms of disease.


METHODS
Retrospective analysis of medical records and discharge notes of treated patients with borreliosis in period 01 January 1996-31 December 2006 was conducted at the Clinic for Infectious Diseases in Sarajevo. Diagnosis of disease was confirmed serologically using Indirect Immunofluorescency method (IF), ELISA and Western-blot methods.


RESULTS
During the investigated period at Clinic for Infectious Diseases, 51 patient with borreliosis was treated. Most affected was work-capable population. Since year 2000 number of treated patients is increasing. Disease is registered from May to September with peak in June. Most frequent symptoms were fever, fatigue, myalgias, and arthralgias. Disease was mainly diagnosed as Erythema migrans (39), than neuroborreliosis (7), borelial arthritis (4) and rarely eye infections-endophtalmitis and episcleritis.


CONCLUSIONS
based on conducted 11-year period research of borreliosis we can conclude following: disease is mainly diagnosed as Erythema migrans, followed by neuroborreliosis. Women were more affected than men. Work-capable population is exposed to higher risk of getting disease. Highest peak of disease was in June. Due to various clinical forms and severity of late complications (II and III stage) it would be useful to conduct borreliosis testing with every etiologically unexplained neurological, cardiac and bone-joint manifestation.
Dautović-Krkić
Sajma
S
Klinika za infektivne bolesti, Klinicki centar Univerziteta u Sarajevu.
Cavaljuga
Semra
S
Ferhatović
M
M
Mostarac
N
N
Gojak
R
R
Hadzović
M
M
Hadzić
A
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017522:Bosnia and Herzegovina / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged