Geographical Features and Seroprevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi in Erzincan, Turkey
Cikman, Aytekin and Aydin, Merve and Gulhan, Baris and Karakecili, Faruk
and Demirtas, Levent and Kesik, Ozan Arif
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Abstract
Background: We aimed to determine the geographical features and
seroprevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi in Erzincan, Turkey, which has a
high tick population due to its geographical position and climatic
conditions.
Methods: From January to December 2014, 368 people living in Erzincan,
northeastern Turkey were enrolled. B. burgdorferi IgG antibodies were
investigated in the collected serum samples using the ELISA method in
2015. Positive and borderline results were confirmed using the Western
Bloot (WB) method.
Results: Borrelia burgdorferi IgG positivity was found to be 4.1\% by
ELISA and 2.17\% by WB. Of the seropositive people according to WB, 25\%
resided in areas within 2000m of rivers, 50\% in areas with a slope of
0-5 degrees, and 62.5\% in areas with an altitude of lower than 1500
meters.
Conclusion: The seroprevalence of Lyme borreliosis was high in Erzincan,
particularly among people engaged in animal husbandry in rural areas. In
addition, the seroprevalence of Borrelia varied according to
geographical features, increasing in areas with a lower slope and
altitude.... Show more Show less