Sero-epidemiological study of Lyme disease among high-risk population groups in eastern Slovakia

Introduction and objective The aim of the presented cross-sectional sero-epidemiological study was to determine the current presence of antibodies against B. burgdorferi s.l. in the high-risk groups of the Slovak population, and to identify potential risk factors to LB infections. Material and Methods A group of 277 agricultural and forestry workers – persons with frequent stay in the countryside and employees of State Border and Customs Police – from years 2011–2012 in the Eastern Slovakia were examined in order to assess the seroprevalence of anti- Borrelia antibodies. Sera were screened by commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The study subjects completed a questionnaires with general demographic, epidemiological and clinical data. The results were evaluated statistically. Results A 25.3% presence of positive and 8.7% presence of borderline IgG antibodies was detected in all investigated groups. The seroprevalence of B. burgdorferi s.l was significantly higher (P