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RESEARCH PAPER
Assessment of the frequency of IgM and IgG antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in the serum of inhabitants the Poprad Landscape Park in southern Poland
1
Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology and Earth Sciences, University of the National Education Commission, Kraków, Poland
2
Department of Medical and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland
3
, Poland
Corresponding author
Sylwia Koczanowicz
Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology and Earth Sciences, University of the National Education Commission, Kraków, Podchorążych 2, 30-084, Kraków, Poland
Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology and Earth Sciences, University of the National Education Commission, Kraków, Podchorążych 2, 30-084, Kraków, Poland
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Introduction and objective:
Borreliosis, also known as Lyme disease, is a chronic, multi-organ illness that is very difficult to diagnose. It is caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and transmitted to humans as a consequence of being bitten by a tick, mostly of the Ixodes genus, infected with the pathogen. The aim of the study is to assess the frequency of B. burgdorferi s.l. infections among a randomly selected human population living in the Poprad Landscape Park in southern Poland.
Material and methods:
Serum for the study was obtained from 99 randomly selected patients who reported for routine testing at the medical diagnostic laboratory in Krynica-Zdrój. The presence of IgM and IgG antibodies against B. burgdorferi s.l. spirochetes in the sera were defined using the ELISA method. Western Blot test verified positive and doubtful results.
Results:
In total, positive or borderline results for at least one class of anti-Borrelia antibodies were found in 22.2% of human sera. Only in two samples were the positive results in anti-Borrelia IgM and IgG shown. Antibodies against the spirochete B. burgdorferi s.l. were detected both in people who had found a tick on their body, and in people who claimed they never had.
Conclusions:
Studies have shown a high percentage of people with antibodies against detected B. burgdorferi s.l.. This may indicate frequent bites of the inhabitants of the Poprad Landscape Park by ticks, during which transmission of the B. burgdorferi s.l. spirochete occurs.
Borreliosis, also known as Lyme disease, is a chronic, multi-organ illness that is very difficult to diagnose. It is caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and transmitted to humans as a consequence of being bitten by a tick, mostly of the Ixodes genus, infected with the pathogen. The aim of the study is to assess the frequency of B. burgdorferi s.l. infections among a randomly selected human population living in the Poprad Landscape Park in southern Poland.
Material and methods:
Serum for the study was obtained from 99 randomly selected patients who reported for routine testing at the medical diagnostic laboratory in Krynica-Zdrój. The presence of IgM and IgG antibodies against B. burgdorferi s.l. spirochetes in the sera were defined using the ELISA method. Western Blot test verified positive and doubtful results.
Results:
In total, positive or borderline results for at least one class of anti-Borrelia antibodies were found in 22.2% of human sera. Only in two samples were the positive results in anti-Borrelia IgM and IgG shown. Antibodies against the spirochete B. burgdorferi s.l. were detected both in people who had found a tick on their body, and in people who claimed they never had.
Conclusions:
Studies have shown a high percentage of people with antibodies against detected B. burgdorferi s.l.. This may indicate frequent bites of the inhabitants of the Poprad Landscape Park by ticks, during which transmission of the B. burgdorferi s.l. spirochete occurs.
FUNDING
The study was funded by the Doctoral
School of the National Education Commission in Kraków,
Poland
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| eISSN: | 1898-2263 |
| ISSN: | 1232-1966 |
Generation of the DOI (Digital Object Identifier) - task financed under the agreement No NrRCN/SP/0532/2021/1 by the Minister of Science and Higher
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