A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal

Population-based Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato seroprevalence and associated risk factors in Finland




AuthorsJanko van Beek, Eeva Sajanti, Otto Helve, Jukka Ollgren, Mikko J. Virtanen, Harri Rissanen, Outi Lyytikäinen, Jukka Hytönen, Jussi Sane

PublisherElsevier GmbH

Publication year2018

JournalTicks and Tick-borne Diseases

Journal name in sourceTicks and Tick-borne Diseases

Volume9

Issue2

First page 275

Last page280

Number of pages6

ISSN1877-959X

eISSN1877-9603

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2017.10.018


Abstract

Lyme borreliosis (LB) is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Bb-sl) and is the most common vector-borne disease in Europe. The objectives of this study were to determine the Bb-sl seroprevalence among the general Finnish adult population and to identify risk factors associated with Bb-sl-seropositive status. Two thousand sera from a nationwide health survey from 2011 were tested by whole-cell sonicate IgG ELISA, C6 peptide ELISA, and recomBead IgG 2.0 and test results were linked to a general health questionnaire. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to identify risk factors. The median age of the study population was 56 years (range 29–97) and the Bb-sl weighted seroprevalence was 3.9% (95% confidence interval (CI) 3.03–5.08). The weighted seroprevalence was significantly higher among males than females (adjusted odds ratio 1.91, 95%CI 1.21–3.04). The seroprevalence was highest in Southern, Central, and Eastern regions. The first Bb-sl seroprevalence study in Finland showed a seroprevalence of 3.9% (regional range 0.87%–6.12%). The results of this study can be used, together with previous data on LB incidence and spatial tick distribution, to target public health communication about preventive measures.



Last updated on 2024-26-11 at 17:17