Risk of acquiring tick-borne infections in forestry workers from Lazio, Italy
Lyme Disease
Life Sciences
Forestry
15. Life on land
Antibodies, Viral
Antibodies, Bacterial
Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne
3. Good health
Occupational Diseases
03 medical and health sciences
0302 clinical medicine
Italy
Risk Factors
Seroepidemiologic Studies
Tick-Borne Diseases
Borrelia burgdorferi
Occupational Exposure
Animals
Humans
Encephalitis, Tick-Borne
DOI:
10.1007/s10096-010-1028-6
Publication Date:
2010-08-16T21:53:07Z
AUTHORS (11)
ABSTRACT
The seroprevalence of antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus was evaluated in a group of forestry rangers in the Lazio region of Italy. One hundred and forty-five forestry rangers and 282 blood donors were examined by two-tiered serological tests for B. burgdorferi and TBE virus. Information on occupation, residence, tick bites, outdoor leisure activities and other risk factors was obtained. The prevalence of IgG/IgM antibodies to B. burgdorferi showed no statistical difference between the two groups, but there was a higher occurrence of IgM antibodies. There were significant differences between indoor and outdoor, urban and rural workplaces among the 145 exposed workers (χ² test: p < 0.001), and a higher risk for outdoor rural than urban tasks was detected among the ten Western blot-tested forestry rangers positive to B. burgdorferi (χ² test: p < 0.1). No seropositivity was observed for the TBE virus. Forestry rangers from the Lazio region did not have a higher risk of Borrelia infection than the blood donors, though an increase in the risk for outdoor tasks in a rural environment was observed.
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL
Coming soon ....
REFERENCES (8)
CITATIONS (27)
EXTERNAL LINKS
PlumX Metrics
RECOMMENDATIONS
FAIR ASSESSMENT
Coming soon ....
JUPYTER LAB
Coming soon ....