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Seroprevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi in Belgian forestry workers and associated risk factors.
- Source :
-
Parasites & vectors [Parasit Vectors] 2018 May 02; Vol. 11 (1), pp. 277. Date of Electronic Publication: 2018 May 02. - Publication Year :
- 2018
-
Abstract
- Background: As forest is the preferred environment for ticks, forestry workers are exposed to tick bites and tick-borne diseases. We assessed the seroprevalence of anti-Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb) antibodies and investigated, using an integrated landscape approach, the individual and environmental factors associated with the seroprevalence of Bb in Belgian forestry workers, a high-risk group in Belgium.<br />Methods: A group of 310 Belgian forest workers was examined to assess the seroprevalence of anti-Borrelia IgG antibodies. Using principal component analysis and binary logistic regression, the joint effects of individual characteristics and environmental characteristics were examined.<br />Results: Sixty-seven of the 310 workers were seropositive for Lyme disease (LD), leading to a seroprevalence of 21.6%. The seroprevalence was higher among forest workers visiting forests more frequently (P = 0.003) or who reported over 100 tick bites (P-value < 0.001). The intensity of tick bites and the use of protection measures against tick bites have a positive impact on LD seroprevalence while the quantity of shadow from trees at ground level had a negative one.<br />Conclusions: This study showed that forest workers are a population at risk for LD and, by extension, at risk for various tick-borne diseases. In addition to the role of the environment, our results also showed the importance of considering exposure when predicting the risk of infection by Bb.
- Subjects :
- Adult
Animals
Belgium epidemiology
Female
Humans
Immunoglobulin G blood
Logistic Models
Lyme Disease epidemiology
Lyme Disease microbiology
Male
Middle Aged
Principal Component Analysis
Risk Factors
Tick Bites epidemiology
Tick Bites microbiology
Tick-Borne Diseases epidemiology
Tick-Borne Diseases microbiology
Ticks microbiology
Antibodies, Bacterial blood
Borrelia burgdorferi immunology
Forestry
Occupational Exposure
Seroepidemiologic Studies
Tick Bites immunology
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1756-3305
- Volume :
- 11
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Parasites & vectors
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 29716647
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-018-2860-2