Seroepidemiological investigation of lyme disease and human granulocytic anaplasmosis among people living in forest areas of eight provinces in China.
- Author:
Qin HAO
1
;
Zhen GENG
;
Xue Xia HOU
;
Zhen TIAN
;
Xiu Jun YANG
;
Wei Jia JIANG
;
Yan SHI
;
Zhi Fei ZHAN
;
Guo Hua LI
;
De Shan YU
;
Hua Yong WANG
;
Jian Guo XU
;
Kang Lin WAN
Author Information
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords: Anaplasma phagocytophilum; Borrelia burgdorferi; Co-infection; Residents of forest areas
- MeSH: Adolescent; Adult; Anaplasma phagocytophilum; pathogenicity; Anaplasmosis; blood; epidemiology; Animals; Borrelia burgdorferi; pathogenicity; Child; China; Coinfection; Female; Humans; Lyme Disease; blood; epidemiology; Male; Middle Aged; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Tick-Borne Diseases; blood; epidemiology; Trees; Young Adult
- From: Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2013;26(3):185-189
- CountryChina
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVELyme disease and Human granulocytic anaplasmosis are tick-borne diseases caused by Borrelia burgdorferi and Anaplasma phagocytophilum respectively. We have investigated infection and co-infection of the two diseases in the population of forest areas of eight provinces in China by measuring seroprevalence of antibodies against B. burgdorferi and A. phagocytophilum.
METHODSForest areas in 8 provinces were chosen for investigation using whole sampling and questionnaire survey methods. 3 669 serum samples from people in the forest areas were tested for the presence of antibodies by indirect immunofluorescent assay (IFA).
RESULTSSeroprevalence against B. burgdorferi was 3% to 15% and against A. phagocytophilum was 2% to 18% in the study sites in the 8 provinces in China. We also found co-infection of B. burgdorferi and A. phagocytophilum in 7 of the 8 provinces (the exception being the Miyun area in Beijing). The seroprevalence for both B. burgdorferi and A. phagocytophilum was significantly higher among people exposed to ticks than among people who were not exposed to ticks.
CONCLUSIONWe conclude that both pathogens are endemic in the forest areas in the eight provinces, but the prevalence of B. burgdorferi and A. phagocytophilum differs between the provinces.
