Lyme borreliosis—analysis of the trends in Slovakia, 1999–2008

Abstract

Lyme borreliosis (LB) presents as one of the most frequent tick-borne diseases in Europe with more than 85,000 reported cases every year. The transport of this disease on humans is by tick species of the genus Ixodes. In our work, we aimed to perform a retrospective analysis of the incidence and seasonality of Lyme borreliosis during the period 1999-2008 in Slovakia. For our analysis, we used all the relevant data about the patients with Lyme borreliosis reported in the Epidemiological Informative System of Communicable Diseases in Slovakia during the decade of 1999-2008. During the observed period, there were 7,349 reported cases of LB in Slovakia. Whereas the incidence of early localized infection did not change during the observed period, there was a significant increase in the incidence of early disseminated infection and late persistent infection of LB. Seventy per cent of all patients was infected by tick bite. LB was more frequently reported in females than in males (56.1% vs. 43.9%; p < 0.05), and the most involved age group was the productive age (15-64 years). The incidence of disseminated infection and persistent infection was rising with increasing age. Regarding the seasonality of LB, we found the highest incidence during the summer months. Comparing the situation of LB in 1999 and 2008, significant increase in the number of reported cases was in April and June and from September to November (p < 0.05). Our epidemiological analysis confirmed that Lyme borreliosis requires increased attention due to its increasing incidence.

Threat of attacks of Ixodes ricinus ticks (Ixodida: Ixodidae) and Lyme borreliosis within urban heat islands in south-western Poland

“…Similar trends towards an increased borreliosis incidence is observed in other European countries [50]. The seasonality of the prevalence of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases reported in our present and previous studies [2,15,51] as well as in the investigations conducted by other authors [48,49] is dependent on climatic and environmental conditions influencing the activity of pathogen vectors and reservoirs. An additional factor contributing to spread o Lyme disease is human behaviour, particularly recreational or occupational presence in tick habitats [51][52][53] and failure to comply with anti-tick prophylaxis principles [8,54].…”

“…The increase in the incidence of this zoonosis observed over the last 12 years implies existence of favourable conditions for spirochetes and their vectors in the area. In the neighbouring countries, the incidence varies from 11.3/100,000 inhabitants in 1999 to 19.2/100.000 in 2008 in Slovakia [48] and from 17.8/100,000 in 2000 to 37.3/100,000 in 2006 in Germany [49]. Similar trends towards an increased borreliosis incidence is observed in other European countries [50].…”

The Many Faces of Solitary and Multiple Erythema Migrans

“…Almost 80% of all patients with LB due to Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato have cutaneous skin lesions (4). The clinical hallmark lesion of early LB is EM, but multiple EM (MEM) lesions are also frequently seen in European patients (5)(6)(7)(8). MEM can be an early sign of disseminated LB (5,9).…”

Serological and Clinical one year follow-up of Patients with Erythema migrans treated in a Romanian Infectious Disease Hospital

“…[14] The seasonal pattern of Ixodes ricinus ticks activity is observed also in EM, the most frequent clinical manifestation of Early Lyme borreliosis in our country as in all European endemic countries. [15,16] According to the literature all Borrelia species can cause EM although in middle Europe it is most commonly related to B afzelii. [17] EM usually appears at the site of a tick bite after a median time of 17 days in Europe and 11 days in the USA.…”