title: Seroprevalence of seven pathogens transmitted by the Ixodes ricinus tick in forestry workers in France.
abstract: In order to assess the level of occupational exposure to the main pathogens transmitted by the Ixodes ricinus tick, a seroprevalence study was performed on serum samples collected in 2003 from 2975 forestry workers of northeastern France. The global seroprevalence estimated for the seven pathogens studied was 14.1% (419/2975) for Borrelia burgdorferi sl, 5.7% (164/2908) for Francisella tularensis, 2.3% (68/2941) for tick-borne encephalitis virus, 1.7% (50/2908) for Anaplasma phagocytophilum and 1.7% (48/2908) for Bartonella henselae. The seroprevalences of Babesia divergens and Babesia microti studied in a subgroup of participants seropositive for at least one of these latter pathogens were 0.1% (1/810) and 2.5% (20/810), respectively. Borrelia burgdorferi sl seroprevalence was significantly higher in Alsace and Lorraine and F. tularensis seroprevalence was significantly higher in Champagne-Ardenne and Franche-Comté. The results of this survey also suggest low rates of transmission of Bartonella henselae and F. tularensis by ticks and a different west/east distribution of Babesia species in France. The frequency and potential severity of these diseases justify continued promotion of methods of prevention of I. ricinus bites.
authors.affiliation: Caisse Centrale de la Mutualité Sociale Agricole, Direction santé sécurité au travail, Bagnolet, France. Electronic address: rigaud.emma@ccmsa.msa.fr.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rigaud
authors.affiliation: EA7290 Virulence Bactérienne Précoce, Centre National de Référence des Borrelia, Groupe d'Etude de la Borréliose de Lyme (GEBLY), Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg, Institut de Bactériologie, Université de Strasbourg, CHRU Strasbourg, France.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jaulhac
authors.affiliation: Hôpital Avicenne, Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales, formerly Caisse Centrale de la Mutualité Sociale Agricole, Bobigny, France.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Garcia-Bonnet
authors.affiliation: Institute for Laboratory Medicine, Northwest Medical Center, Academic Teaching Hospital, School of Medicine, The Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany.
authors.forename: K-P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Hunfeld
authors.affiliation: INRA, UMR BIPAR, INRA, Anses, ENVA, Maisons-Alfort, France.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Féménia
authors.affiliation: INRA, UMR BIPAR, INRA, Anses, ENVA, Maisons-Alfort, France.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Huet
authors.affiliation: INRA, UMR BIPAR, INRA, Anses, ENVA, Maisons-Alfort, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Goulvestre
authors.affiliation: Institut de Veille Sanitaire, Saint-Maurice, France.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vaillant
authors.affiliation: Caisse Centrale de la Mutualité Sociale Agricole, Direction santé sécurité au travail, Bagnolet, France.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Deffontaines
authors.affiliation: AFOMETRA, formerly Caisse Centrale de la Mutualité Sociale Agricole, Paris, France.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Abadia-Benoist
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D000067565:Farmers; D005260:Female; D065928:Forests; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D005843:Geography; D006801:Humans; D018884:Ixodes / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011159:Population Surveillance; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D017282:Tick-Borne Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000635:transmission; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: France; Ixodes ricinus; Occupational exposure; Seroprevalence; Zoonotic agents