Analysis of selected serological parameters in patients with diagnosed Lyme borreliosis and in seropositive patients with no clinical symptoms

Lyme disease, or Lyme borreliosis can occur in domestic animals and in people, with no characteristic symptoms. That is why Lyme disease is often diagnosed and treated as some other disease. Clinical symptoms of this disease are not specific and they can look like a number of different diseases, which is why the disease is called - the great imitator. The reservoirs of the disease are ticks Ixodes ricinus. During the research from 2005 to 2007 it was established that the prevalence with Lyme borreliosis exists within the tick population. The objective of this paper is a survey of the presence of Lyme disease in different populations of different animal species (horses, cattle, sheep and dogs) in the region where the infection of ticks with Borrelia burgdorferi was established in the percentage of 25-28%. The methods used were the ones for the determination of Borrelia burgdorferi in ticks, with a dark field microscopy, and also the presence of antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi was determinate with a complement fixation reaction, in the blood sera of horses, sheep, cattle and dogs. As the result it was found that the cause of Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi is constantly present within the tick population. In examined horses and cattle the presence of antibodies against B. burgdorferi was not found, while in sheep and dogs, the presence of antibodies was found. Any seropositive animal, and also an infected tick, represents a danger for the human population and also for other animals, which are in the surrounding. Lyme disease is usually not mortal, but it can create a lot of problems leading to the decrease of production in domestic animals or an illness with clinical symptoms in humans, horses and dogs.

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Practical aspects of Lyme disease in children

Modern pediatrics. Ukraine ◽

10.15574/sp.2020.109.33 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 33-38

Author(s):

N.V. Banadyha ◽

◽

I.O. Rogalskyy ◽

Keyword(s):

Lyme Disease ◽

Lyme Borreliosis ◽

Conflict Of Interest ◽

Patient Management ◽

Clinical Symptoms ◽

Clinical Manifestations ◽

Laboratory Diagnostics ◽

Pediatric Practice ◽

Key Words Lyme Disease ◽

The Moment

Lyme disease is especially important in the spring–autumn period, despite the fact that its clinical manifestations may be throughout the year. Awareness of general practitioners with this problem is insufficient, it requires additional knowledge about diagnosis and treatment. In pediatric practice, the fact of a child being bitten by an Ixodes mite that carries the causative agent of Lyme borreliosis, in addition to babesiosis, anaplasmosis, often goes unnoticed. Therefore, parents seek medical help only when various problems arise, often the thought of Lyme disease does not even arise. Lyme disease has a wide polymorphism of clinical symptoms, is characterized by multisystem lesions, cyclical course — all this complicates the diagnostic search. The difficulty also lies in the fact that there are no domestic clinical recommendations. This publication presents approaches to the diagnosis, treatment, prevention of Lyme disease based on the experience of experts from different countries. Modern approaches to two-stage laboratory diagnostics, tactics of patient management from the moment of bite, treatment at different stages of Lyme borreliosis are analyzed. Attention is paid to the need for epidemiological research in Ukraine and the beginning of educational programs to prevent the disease. The differentiated approach to the treatment of Lyme disease in children due to age aspects, concomitant pathology, safety of long_term antibacterial therapy should be studied more. No conflict of interest was declared by the authors. Key words: Lyme disease, children, diagnosis, treatment, prevention.

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Detection of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato DNA by PCR in serum of patients with clinical symptoms of Lyme borreliosis

FEMS Microbiology Letters ◽

10.1111/j.1574-6968.2008.01134.x ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 283 (1) ◽

pp. 30-35 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Iolanda Santino ◽

Francesca Berlutti ◽

Fabrizio Pantanella ◽

Rosa Sessa ◽

Massimo Del Piano

Keyword(s):

Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽

Lyme Borreliosis ◽

Clinical Symptoms ◽

Borrelia Burgdorferi Sensu Lato

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Lyme-Borreliose: Serologische und mikrobiologische Diagnostik und Differenzialdiagnostik

DMW - Deutsche Medizinische Wochenschrift ◽

10.1055/a-0793-4544 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 145 (01) ◽

pp. 29-34

Author(s):

Volker Fingerle ◽

Andreas Sing

Keyword(s):

Lyme Borreliosis ◽

Clinical Symptoms ◽

Wide Spectrum ◽

Erythema Migrans ◽

Dark Field ◽

Antibody Detection ◽

Band Spectrum ◽

Case Definitions ◽

Detection Rates ◽

Microbiological Diagnostics

AbstractLyme borreliosis caused by at least six Borrelia burgdorferi species, is the most important tick-borne disease in the northern hemisphere. With a wide spectrum of possible symptoms, the microbiological diagnosis of this disease is associated with a wide variety of ideas, divergent approaches and much uncertainty. The aim of the article is to introduce the treating physicians to a meaningful microbiological diagnostic procedure. Most important messages include that (I) the suspected diagnosis of Lyme borreliosis is first based on anamnestic data and clinical symptoms (compare “case definitions”) which is substantiated by microbiological examinations; (II) microbiological diagnostics – primarily antibody detection, downstream PCR and culture – are only indicated if there are indicative symptoms, with typical erythema migrans not requiring microbiological diagnostics; (III) keep in mind: The more unspecific the symptoms are the lower the positive and the higher the negative predictive value of microbiological testing; (IV) serological diagnosis should follow a two-step procedure: a sensitive ELISA as first step, if reactive followed by immunoblot (IgM and IgG). Detection rates are ca. 50 % in localized, 70– > 90 % in disseminated early and nearly 100 % (only IgG relevant) in late disease; (V) in the immunoblot early forms of disease show a narrow band spectrum, late forms show a broad spectrum; (VI) methods that are not recommended for diagnostic purposes include lymphocyte activation or transformation tests (LTT, MELISA, ELISPOT), PCR or antigen detection from urine or blood, lymphocyte subpopulations, or direct detection of borreliae from patient material using dark field- or focus floating microscopy.

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Cardiac lesions in patients with Lyme borreliosis

Infekcionnye bolezni ◽

10.20953/1729-9225-2021-1-83-88 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

pp. 83-88

Author(s):

Yu.G. Pritulina ◽

◽

L.A. Chernyshova ◽

G.G. Salomakhin ◽

T.A. Ruzhentsova ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lyme Borreliosis ◽

Laboratory Testing ◽

Clinical Symptoms ◽

Clinical Manifestations ◽

Additional Treatment ◽

Dynamic Monitoring ◽

Cardiac Lesions ◽

Discharge From Hospital ◽

Ecg Abnormalities ◽

System Objective

Acute infectious diseases can potentially affect the cardiovascular system. Objective. To demonstrate the need for dynamic monitoring and treatment of cardiovascular disorders in patients with tickborne borreliosis. Patients and methods. This study included 142 patients with laboratory-confirmed tick-borne borreliosis. We analyzed clinical symptoms, results of laboratory testing, and electrocardiography (ECG) findings. Results. Almost one-fifth of all patients (18%) had complaints indicating cardiovascular lesions (both in the group under 60 years of age and in the group of elderly patients). Thirteen patients (9.2%) presented with hypotension. Grade 1–2 hypertension was observed in 11 hospitalized patients (7.7%). Clinical manifestations were accompanied by various ECG abnormalities. Conclusion. We found that 13.4% of patients with confirmed borreliosis had symptoms of probable myocarditis with signs of coronary artery lesions. The disorders detected were shortly eliminated by basic therapy or additional treatment (when needed) by the time of discharge from hospital. Key words: borreliosis, Lyme borreliosis, myocarditis, ECG, extrasystole, erythema

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Lyme neuroborreliosis and bird populations in northern Europe

Proceedings of The Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rspb.2019.0759 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 286 (1903) ◽

pp. 20190759 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Atle Mysterud ◽

Dieter J. A. Heylen ◽

Erik Matthysen ◽

Aïda Lopez Garcia ◽

Solveig Jore ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lyme Borreliosis ◽

Clinical Symptoms ◽

Disease Incidence ◽

Time Lag ◽

Lyme Neuroborreliosis ◽

Infection Prevalence ◽

Host Group ◽

Host Seeking ◽

Vector Borne

Many vector-borne diseases are transmitted through complex pathogen–vector–host networks, which makes it challenging to identify the role of specific host groups in disease emergence. Lyme borreliosis in humans is now the most common vector-borne zoonosis in the Northern Hemisphere. The disease is caused by multiple genospecies of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato bacteria transmitted by ixodid (hard) ticks, and the major host groups transmit Borrelia genospecies with different pathogenicity, causing variable clinical symptoms in humans. The health impact of a given host group is a function of the number of ticks it infects as well as the pathogenicity of the genospecies it carries. Borrelia afzelii , with mainly small mammals as reservoirs, is the most common pathogen causing Lyme borreliosis, and it is often responsible for the largest proportion of infected host-seeking tick nymphs in Europe. The bird-borne Borrelia garinii , though less prevalent in nymphal ticks, is more likely to cause Lyme neuroborreliosis, but whether B. garinii causes disseminated disease more frequently has not been documented. Based on extensive data of annual disease incidence across Norway from 1995 to 2017, we show here that 69% of disseminated Lyme borreliosis cases were neuroborreliosis, which is three times higher than predicted from the infection prevalence of B. garinii in host-seeking ticks (21%). The population estimate of migratory birds, mainly of thrushes, explained part of the annual variation in cases of neuroborreliosis, with a one-year time lag. We highlight the important role of the genospecies' pathogenicity and the host associations for understanding the epidemiology of disseminated Lyme borreliosis.

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The seroepidemiology of Lyme borreliosis in zoo animals in Germany

Epidemiology and Infection ◽

10.1017/s0950268803008896 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 131 (2) ◽

pp. 975-983 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

K. STOEBEL ◽

A. SCHOENBERG ◽

W. J. STREICH

Keyword(s):

Lyme Borreliosis ◽

Clinical Symptoms ◽

Infection Risk ◽

Immunofluorescence Technique ◽

Infection Rates ◽

Specific Antibodies ◽

Carnivore Species ◽

Zoo Animals ◽

Indirect Immunofluorescence Technique ◽

Darkfield Microscopy

We conducted the first seroepidemiological study to evaluate the exposure of zoo animals to Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. in German zoos and wildlife parks. A total of 1487 individuals representing 148 ungulate and carnivore species belonging to 19 families were examined using a non-species dependent ELISA. Specific antibodies were detected in 154 (10·4%) animals; 168 (11·3%) sera produced borderline results. The percentage of seropositive individuals was related to species and origin (zoo), and increased with age of the animals. Sex and season did not influence seroprevalence. Examination of 600 ticks (Ixodes ricinus; caught from vegetation in the zoos) by darkfield microscopy and indirect immunofluorescence technique revealed infection rates within the range typical for Central Europe. The results substantiate that there is an infection risk for zoo animals. A differential diagnosis of Lyme borreliosis should be taken into account in case of suspicious clinical symptoms and possible contact to ticks.

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Case Example: Adjacent Segment Disease: What Is It, and How Is It Rated?

Guides Newsletter ◽

10.1001/amaguidesnewsletters.2011.marapr02 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. 8-9

Author(s):

Marjorie Eskay-Auerbach

Keyword(s):

Clinical Symptoms ◽

Lumbar Fusion ◽

Adjacent Segment Degeneration ◽

Adjacent Segment Disease ◽

Adjacent Segment ◽

Disc Space Narrowing ◽

Disc Disease ◽

Disc Space ◽

Radiographic Findings ◽

Asymptomatic Patients

Abstract The incidence of cervical and lumbar fusion surgery has increased in the past twenty years, and during follow-up some of these patients develop changes at the adjacent segment. Recognizing that adjacent segment degeneration and disease may occur in the future does not alter the rating for a cervical or lumbar fusion at the time the patient's condition is determined to be at maximum medical improvement (MMI). The term adjacent segment degeneration refers to the presence of radiographic findings of degenerative disc disease, including disc space narrowing, instability, and so on at the motion segment above or below a cervical or lumbar fusion. Adjacent segment disease refers to the development of new clinical symptoms that correspond to these changes on imaging. The biomechanics of adjacent segment degeneration have been studied, and, although the exact mechanism is uncertain, genetics may play a role. Findings associated with adjacent segment degeneration include degeneration of the facet joints with hypertrophy and thickening of the ligamentum flavum, disc space collapse, and translation—but the clinical significance of these radiographic degenerative changes remains unclear, particularly in light of the known presence of abnormal findings in asymptomatic patients. Evaluators should not rate an individual in anticipation of the development of changes at the level above a fusion, although such a development is a recognized possibility.

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