Prevalence and incidence of antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi and to tick-borne encephalitis virus in agricultural and forestry workers from Tuscany, Italy

• Published in: European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases Vol. 24; no. 7; pp. 457 - 463
• Main Authors: Tomao, P., Ciceroni, L., D’Ovidio, M. C., Rosa, M., Vonesch, N., Iavicoli, S., Signorini, S., Ciarrocchi, S., Ciufolini, M. G., Fiorentini, C., Papaleo, B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin Springer 01.07.2005; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adult; Agriculture; Antibodies, Bacterial - blood; Antibodies, Viral - blood; Arboviral encephalitis; Arboviroses; Arbovirus; Bacterial diseases; Biological and medical sciences; Blood; Borrelia burgdorferi; Borrelia burgdorferi - immunology; Borrelia infections; Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne - immunology; Encephalitis, Tick-Borne - epidemiology; Female; Flavivirus; Forestry; Human bacterial diseases; Human viral diseases; Humans; Immunoglobulin G - blood; Immunoglobulin M - blood; Incidence; Infectious diseases; Insect bites; Italy - epidemiology; Ixodes persulcatus; Ixodes ricinus; Ixodidae; Lyme disease; Lyme Disease - epidemiology; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Occupational Exposure; Risk factors; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Tick-borne encephalitis virus; Tropical bacterial diseases; Tropical viral diseases; Viral diseases; Italy; Europe; Tuscany; Lyme disease; Prevalence; Spirochaetaceae; Epidemiology; Flavivirus; Incidence; Spirochaetosis; Arbovirus disease; Immunoblotting assay; Bacteria; Nervous system diseases; Borrelia burgdorferi; Spirochaetales; Antibody; Tick borne encephalitis; Borrelia infection; Cerebral disorder; Meningoencephalitis; Infection; Tick borne encephalitis group virus; Virus; Viral disease; Central nervous system disease; Bacteriosis; Flaviviridae; Arbovirus; Tick borne encephalitis virus
• ISSN: 0934-9723; 1435-4373
• DOI: 10.1007/s10096-005-1348-0

The ticks Ixodes persulcatus and Ixodes ricinus are the main vectors of both Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus in Eurasia. Borrelia burgdorferi is the cause of Lyme borreliosis, and TBE is a biphasic meningoencephalitis induced by an arbovirus belonging to the flavivirus family. The principal aims of the current investigation were (i) to determine the frequency of serological evidence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and TBE infections in healthy agricultural and forestry workers, (ii) to determine the incidence of seroconversion for antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and TBE virus in Tuscan workers during a 1-year survey; and (iii) to assess the occupational risk for agricultural and forestry activities in a defined area (Tuscany, Italy). A total of 412 blood samples were taken from agricultural and forestry workers, and information on age, duration of employment, and history of tick bites was collected in a questionnaire to establish the risk factors for the diseases. Three hundred sixty-five blood donors from the same region served as controls. To estimate the rate of seroconversion, 176 of the agricultural and forestry workers were tested 1 year later. IgG and IgM antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and TBE virus were detected in serum by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and confirmed by Western blot analysis for Borrelia burgdorferi and by a test for inhibition of hemagglutination for TBE. Antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi were more frequent among the workers than in the control group (7.8% vs. 4.9% in the IgG-IgM enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and 7.03% vs. 3.56% in the confirmatory test). No seropositivity was observed for TBE virus. Eighteen of 176 subjects who underwent a second blood test developed specific antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi within 1 year.