Serological Assessment of Lyme borreliosis in Bulgaria: A Nationwide Study

(LB), a tick-borne infection caused by bacteria in the sensu lato complex, is increasingly prevalent on the Balkan Peninsula, including Bulgaria, where it is the most common tick-borne disease. This study aimed to assess the seroprevalence of LB across Bulgaria by analyzing 1892 serum samples for sp...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Pathogens (Basel) 2024-09, Vol.13 (9), p.754
Main Authors: Ngoc, Kim, Trifonova, Iva, Gladnishka, Teodora, Taseva, Evgenia, Panayotova, Elitsa, Vladimirova, Iva, Ivanova, Vladislava, Kuteva, Eleonora, Christova, Iva
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age groups
Antibodies
Arachnids
Asymptomatic
Borrelia burgdorferi
Borreliosis
Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
Health care
Immunoglobulin G
Infections
Lyme borreliosis
Medical research
Medicine, Experimental
Parasitic diseases
Provinces
Public health
Regional analysis
Regional planning
Rural areas
Rural populations
Serology
seroprevalence
Test procedures
Tick-borne diseases
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Summary:(LB), a tick-borne infection caused by bacteria in the sensu lato complex, is increasingly prevalent on the Balkan Peninsula, including Bulgaria, where it is the most common tick-borne disease. This study aimed to assess the seroprevalence of LB across Bulgaria by analyzing 1892 serum samples for specific IgG antibodies using a two-tier testing protocol involving an ELISA and immunoblot methods. The results revealed an overall seroprevalence rate of 5.4%, with significant variation based on age, sex, and residence. Seroprevalence increased with age, peaking at 8.4% in individuals over 65 years. Males had a seroprevalence of 8.4% compared to 3.3% in females, and rural residents showed higher seroprevalence (10.2%) compared to urban residents (4.4%). Regional analysis indicated that seroprevalence ranged from 0.0% to 20.0%, with higher rates in northern provinces such as Gabrovo (18.9%) and Targovishte (20.0%). This study highlights the importance of two-step testing protocols for accurate diagnosis and underscores the need for increased awareness and further research to enhance public health measures and the management of LB in Bulgaria.
ISSN:2076-0817
2076-0817
DOI:10.3390/pathogens13090754