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A Seventeen-Year Epidemiological Surveillance Study of Borrelia burgdorferi Infections in Two Provinces of Northern Spain

Author

Listed:
  • Lourdes Lledó

    (Department of Biomedicine and Biotecnology, Alcalá University, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Spain)

  • María Isabel Gegúndez

    (Department of Biomedicine and Biotecnology, Alcalá University, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Spain)

  • Consuelo Giménez-Pardo

    (Department of Biomedicine and Biotecnology, Alcalá University, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Spain)

  • Rufino Álamo

    (Territorial Health Service and Social Welfare of the Junta de Castilla y León, 47003 Valladolid, Spain)

  • Pedro Fernández-Soto

    (Department of Parasitology, Salamanca University, 37008 Salamanca, Spain)

  • María Sofia Nuncio

    (Centre for Vectors and Infectious Diseases Research, Instituto Nacional de Saúde Dr. Ricardo Jorge (National Institute of Health), 2965-575 Aguas de Moura, Portugal)

  • José Vicente Saz

    (Department of Biomedicine and Biotecnology, Alcalá University, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Spain)

Abstract

This paper reports a 17-year seroepidemiological surveillance study of Borrelia burgdorferi infection, performed with the aim of improving our knowledge of the epidemiology of this pathogen. Serum samples (1,179) from patients (623, stratified with respect to age, sex, season, area of residence and occupation) bitten by ticks in two regions of northern Spain were IFA-tested for B. burgdorferi antibodies. Positive results were confirmed by western blotting. Antibodies specific for B. burgdorferi were found in 13.3% of the patients; 7.8% were IgM positive, 9.6% were IgG positive, and 4.33% were both IgM and IgG positive. Five species of ticks were identified in the seropositive patients: Dermacentor marginatus (41.17% of such patients) Dermacentor reticulatus (11.76%), Rhiphicephalus sanguineus (17.64%), Rhiphicephalus turanicus (5.88%) and Ixodes ricinus (23.52%). B. burgdorferi DNA was sought by PCR in ticks when available. One tick, a D. reticulatus male , was found carrying the pathogen. The seroprevalence found was similar to the previously demonstrated in similar studies in Spain and other European countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Lourdes Lledó & María Isabel Gegúndez & Consuelo Giménez-Pardo & Rufino Álamo & Pedro Fernández-Soto & María Sofia Nuncio & José Vicente Saz, 2014. "A Seventeen-Year Epidemiological Surveillance Study of Borrelia burgdorferi Infections in Two Provinces of Northern Spain," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-12, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:11:y:2014:i:2:p:1661-1672:d:32677
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    Cited by:

    1. Lourdes Lledó & Consuelo Giménez-Pardo & María Isabel Gegúndez, 2019. "Screening of Forestry Workers in Guadalajara Province (Spain) for Antibodies to Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus, Hantavirus, Rickettsia spp. and Borrelia burgdorferi," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-9, November.

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