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Document ID (ISN)78589
CIS number 02-940
ISSN - Serial title 0376-7639 - Médecine du travail & Ergonomie / Arbeidsgezondheitszorg & Ergonomie
Year 2001
Convention or series no.
Title Sero-prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi among Flemish forestry workers
Original title Seroprevalentie van Borrelia burgorferi bij Vlaamse bosarbeiders [in Dutch]
Bibliographic information 2001, Vol.XXXVIII, No.3, p.113-118. 28 ref.
Abstract The number of registered cases of Lyme disease has been increasing each year in Belgium. To evaluate the impact of Lyme disease among forest workers, a sero-prevalence study was conducted in 1996, involving 261 employees of the forestry department of the Flemish community. The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi responsible for Lyme disease. The frequency of tick bites in the past year and the extent of self-reported symptoms of employees Lyme disease were also noted. It was found that 9% of the investigated population had a positive serology (IgM or lgG antibodies measured by ELISA and immunofluorescence) for B. burgdorferi.The forestry workers reported an average of 17 tick bites per year. The highest levels were reported in the provinces of Limburg, Antwerp and Flemish Brabant. 13% of the employees retrospectively reported a skin rash which resembled erythema chronicum migrans (ECM). This study showed that the risk of Lyme disease is real and correlates with the high degree of exposure.
Descriptors (primary) forestry; determination in blood; Lyme disease; Belgium
Descriptors (secondary) symptoms; erythema; frequency rates; immunology; fluorescent antibody test; hazard evaluation
Document type D - Periodical articles
Country / State or ProvinceBelgium
Subject(s) Forestry
Broad subject area(s) Biological hazards
Browse category(ies) Forestry and logging
Bacterial and parasitic diseases