Two-year survey of the incidence of Lyme borreliosis and tick-borne encephalitis in a high-risk population in Sweden

Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. 1992 Oct;11(10):894-900. doi: 10.1007/BF01962369.

Abstract

A survey was made over a two-year period (September 1987 to August 1989) of a population living in an area endemic for Lyme borreliosis and tick-borne encephalitis in Sweden. For each patient a blood sample was collected and a questionnaire completed annually. All sera were tested for an antibody response to Borrelia burgdorferi in an EIA using sonicated antigen and for an antibody response to the tick-borne encephalitis virus using an EIA and a haemagglutination inhibition test. Antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi and tick-borne encephalitis virus were detected in 89 (25.7%) and 40 (11.6%) respectively of 346 samples collected in August 1987. In the first year of the study 14 of 303 subjects (4.6%) developed Lyme borreliosis and in the second year 9 of 277 subjects (3.2%). A significant increase in the antibody titre for Borrelia burgdorferi was seen in 14 of 303 (4.6%) subjects in the first year and 8 of 277 (2.9%) subjects in the second year. An earlier episode of Lyme borreliosis or an elevated antibody titre did not seem to protect against reinfection. One case of tick-borne encephalitis was seen each year. Seroconversion for tick-borne encephalitis virus was found in 3 of 258 (1.2%) subjects in the first year and 5 of 211 (2.4%) in the second year, excluding subjects who had undergone successful immunisation or had earlier been hospitalised for tick-borne encephalitis. The study thus demonstrated a high yearly incidence of tick-borne infections in a population at risk.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Bacterial / blood
  • Antibodies, Viral / blood
  • Arachnid Vectors*
  • Bites and Stings / epidemiology
  • Borrelia burgdorferi Group / immunology
  • Borrelia burgdorferi Group / isolation & purification
  • Child
  • Encephalitis, Tick-Borne / epidemiology*
  • Encephalitis, Tick-Borne / immunology
  • Encephalitis, Tick-Borne / prevention & control
  • Erythema Chronicum Migrans / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunoenzyme Techniques
  • Incidence
  • Lyme Disease / epidemiology*
  • Lyme Disease / immunology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Prospective Studies
  • Risk Factors
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Sweden / epidemiology
  • Ticks* / microbiology
  • Vaccination
  • Viral Vaccines

Substances

  • Antibodies, Bacterial
  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Viral Vaccines