title: Prevalence of antibodies against selected zoonotic agents in forestry workers from eastern and southern Poland.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Due to the nature of their work, foresters are exposed to many infectious pathogens from the wildlife reservoir. The primary aim of this study was to assess their contact with these pathogens.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sera and antibodies, mainly of IgG class against selected infectious factors, collected from a group of 216 employees of National Forests from eastern and southern Poland, were investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Antibodies to Anaplasma phagocytophilum were detected in 64 sera (29.6%), to Bartonella spp. in 133 sera (61.6%), to Babesia microti in 50 sera (23.1%), and to Coxiella burnetii in 14 sera (6.4%); 7 sera (3.2%) were positive to Francisella tularensis. In studies of diseases not carried by ticks positive results were found in 28 sera (12.9%) to Toxocara canis, 13 sera (6.0 %) to Trichinella spiralis, and in 7 sera (3.2%) to Echinococcus granulosus. Antibodies to Hanta viruses were detected with antigens from Puumala and Dobrava/Hantaan strains in both IgM and IgG class. In 9 foresters, positive results were found, including one positive result to 2 antigens, 5 to Dobrava/Hantaan antigen and 3 to Puumala antigen.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Frequently higher percentages of positive results were found in people working utdoors, and in men when compared with women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Allergology and Environmental Hazards, Institute of Rural Health, Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Wioletta
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Żukiewicz-Sobczak
authors.affiliation: Department of Allergology and Environmental Hazards, Institute of Rural Health, Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Jacek
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zwoliński
authors.affiliation: Department of Allergology and Environmental Hazards, Institute of Rural Health, Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Jolanta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chmielewska-Badora
authors.affiliation: Department of Allergology and Environmental Hazards, Institute of Rural Health, Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Elżbieta Monika
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Galińska
authors.affiliation: Department of Allergology and Environmental Hazards, Institute of Rural Health, Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Grażyna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cholewa
authors.affiliation: Department of Allergology and Environmental Hazards, Institute of Rural Health, Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Ewelina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Krasowska
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Institute of Rural Health, Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Jerzy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zagórski
authors.affiliation: Department of Mother and Child Health, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poland.
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wojtyła
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Medical University, Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tomasiewicz
authors.affiliation: Independent Laboratory for Environmental Parasitology and Bacteriology, Institute of Rural Health, Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kłapeć
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000097:blood; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D016468:Forestry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D017282:Tick-Borne Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000914:Antibodies, Viral