Horses as a Potential Reservoir of Lyme Borreliosis in Jeju-do, Korea.

Author: Jong Myon BAE ¹
Author Information

1. Department of Preventive Medicine, Jeju National University School of Medicine, Jeju, Korea.
Publication Type:Original Article
Keywords: Borrelia burgdorferi; Ixodes; Lyme borreliosis; Lyme disease; Tick
MeSH: Borrelia burgdorferi; Communicable Diseases; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Horses*; Ixodes; Jeju-do*; Korea*; Lyme Disease*; North America; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Ticks
From:Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health 2018;51(4):213-214
CountryRepublic of Korea
Language:English
Abstract: Lyme borreliosis (LB) is the most common tick-borne infectious disease in North America, and it was designated as a national notifiable infectious disease in Korea in December 2010. While no cases in Jeju-do were recorded from 2012 to 2016, a recent survey reported that the seroprevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays in horses in Jeju-do was 19.0% (95% confidence interval, 12.0 to 28.3%). This fact suggests that horses may be a potential reservoir of LB in Jeju-do and that individuals in close contact with horses may be a high-risk group. Thus, a serological study in this high-risk group is urgently needed.