A prospective study on the incidence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato infection after a tick bite in Sweden and on the Åland Islands, Finland (2008-2009).
(2016) In Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases 7(1). p.71-79- Abstract
- Lyme borreliosis (LB) is a common and increasing tick-borne disease in Europe. The risk of acquiring a Borrelia infection after a tick bite is not fully known. Therefore, we investigated the incidence of Borrelia infection after a bite by a Borrelia-infected tick and if the Borrelia load and/or the duration of tick-feeding influenced the risk of infection. During 2008-2009, ticks and blood samples were collected from 1546 tick-bitten persons from Sweden and the Åland Islands, Finland. Follow-up blood samples were taken 3 months after the tick bite. The duration of tick feeding was microscopically estimated and Borrelia was detected and quantified in ticks by real-time PCR. Anti-Borrelia antibodies were detected in sera using ELISA tests... (More)
- Lyme borreliosis (LB) is a common and increasing tick-borne disease in Europe. The risk of acquiring a Borrelia infection after a tick bite is not fully known. Therefore, we investigated the incidence of Borrelia infection after a bite by a Borrelia-infected tick and if the Borrelia load and/or the duration of tick-feeding influenced the risk of infection. During 2008-2009, ticks and blood samples were collected from 1546 tick-bitten persons from Sweden and the Åland Islands, Finland. Follow-up blood samples were taken 3 months after the tick bite. The duration of tick feeding was microscopically estimated and Borrelia was detected and quantified in ticks by real-time PCR. Anti-Borrelia antibodies were detected in sera using ELISA tests and immunoblot. Five percent (78/1546) of the study participants developed Borrelia infection (LB diagnosis and/or seroconversion) after a tick bite (45% bitten by Borrelia-infected ticks and 55% bitten by uninfected ticks). Of these, 33 developed LB (whereof 9 also seroconverted) while 45 participants seroconverted only. Experience of non-specific symptoms was more frequently reported by Borrelia-infected participants compared to uninfected participants. All who seroconverted removed "their" ticks significantly later than those who did not. The Borrelia load in the ticks did not explain the risk of seroconversion. Regional and sex differences in the Borrelia seroprevalence were found. The risk of developing a Borrelia infection after a bite by a Borrelia-infected tick is small but increases with the duration of tick feeding. (Less)
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- organization
- publishing date
- 2016
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases
- volume
- 7
- issue
- 1
- pages
- 71 - 79
- publisher
- Elsevier
- external identifiers
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- pmid:26341726
- wos:000366953400012
- scopus:84947487301
- pmid:26341726
- ISSN
- 1877-9603
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2015.08.009
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
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- The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Faculty of Medicine (000022000), Division of Infection Medicine (SUS) (013008000)
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@article{3d8c9117-4426-4fde-a884-1690685f4894,
abstract = {{Lyme borreliosis (LB) is a common and increasing tick-borne disease in Europe. The risk of acquiring a Borrelia infection after a tick bite is not fully known. Therefore, we investigated the incidence of Borrelia infection after a bite by a Borrelia-infected tick and if the Borrelia load and/or the duration of tick-feeding influenced the risk of infection. During 2008-2009, ticks and blood samples were collected from 1546 tick-bitten persons from Sweden and the Åland Islands, Finland. Follow-up blood samples were taken 3 months after the tick bite. The duration of tick feeding was microscopically estimated and Borrelia was detected and quantified in ticks by real-time PCR. Anti-Borrelia antibodies were detected in sera using ELISA tests and immunoblot. Five percent (78/1546) of the study participants developed Borrelia infection (LB diagnosis and/or seroconversion) after a tick bite (45% bitten by Borrelia-infected ticks and 55% bitten by uninfected ticks). Of these, 33 developed LB (whereof 9 also seroconverted) while 45 participants seroconverted only. Experience of non-specific symptoms was more frequently reported by Borrelia-infected participants compared to uninfected participants. All who seroconverted removed "their" ticks significantly later than those who did not. The Borrelia load in the ticks did not explain the risk of seroconversion. Regional and sex differences in the Borrelia seroprevalence were found. The risk of developing a Borrelia infection after a bite by a Borrelia-infected tick is small but increases with the duration of tick feeding.}},
author = {{Wilhelmsson, Peter and Fryland, Linda and Lindblom, Pontus and Sjöwall, Johanna and Ahlm, Clas and Berglund, Johan and Haglund, Mats and Henningsson, Anna J and Nolskog, Peter and Nordberg, Marika and Nyberg, Clara and Ornstein, Katharina and Nyman, Dag and Ekerfelt, Christina and Forsberg, Pia and Lindgren, Per-Eric}},
issn = {{1877-9603}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{1}},
pages = {{71--79}},
publisher = {{Elsevier}},
series = {{Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases}},
title = {{A prospective study on the incidence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato infection after a tick bite in Sweden and on the Åland Islands, Finland (2008-2009).}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2015.08.009}},
doi = {{10.1016/j.ttbdis.2015.08.009}},
volume = {{7}},
year = {{2016}},
}