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)

Publication date: Available online 22 August 2015 Source:Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases Author(s): Peter Wilhelmsson, Linda Fryland, Pontus Lindblom, Johanna Sjöwall, Clas Ahlm, Johan Berglund, Mats Haglund, Anna J. Henningsson, Peter Nolskog, Marika Nordberg, Clara Nyberg, Katharina Ornstein, Dag Nyman, Christina Ekerfelt, Pia Forsberg, Per-Eric Lindgren 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 three 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. Twenty-eight percent (428/1546) of the participants were bitten by a Borrelia-infected tick, whereof 7.5% (32/428) developed a Borrelia infection (seroconversion and/or LB diagnosis). 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 ser...
Source: Ticks and Tick borne Diseases - Category: Zoology Source Type: research