The risk of Lyme borreliosis infection following tick bite in Pristina region, Kosovo

doctoral thesis

• Title (croatian): Rizik pojave Lajmske borelioze nakon ujeda krpelja u regiji Prištine, Kosovo
• Author: Albina Ponosheci-Biçaku
• Mentor: Goran Tešović (mentor)
• Committee member: Josip Begovac (predsjednik povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Dalibor Vukelić (član povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Branka Marinović (član povjerenstva)
• Granter: University of Zagreb; School of Medicine; Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2021-07-05, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: BIOMEDICINE AND HEALTHCARE; Public Health and Health Care; Epidemiology
• Universal decimal classification (UDC): 614 - Public health and hygiene. Accident prevention

Abstract

Aim: No clinical and seroprevalence studies for Lyme borreliosis (LB) in Kosovo have been publicly available thus far. Therefore, we performed a prospective observational study with the primary objective of defining the risk of developing Lyme borreliosis after a tick bite in Kosovo. Materials and methods: A total of 380 adult participants (≥18 years of age) with an embedded tick in the skin examined at the Clinic of Infectious Diseases, Pristina, were included in the study during the four years (January 2015-August 2018). Participants were followed by a six-month follow-up in order to detect the development of clinical manifestations of LB and/or seroconversion against Borrelia burgdorferi.
Results: Most cases were seen in May and June in all study years. Erythema migrans (EM) was clinically diagnosed in 74/380 patients (19.5%, 95%CI 15.6-23.8). Only 15 clinically diagnosed EM (in seronegative patients) were serologically confirmed with seroconversion (2 months later). Three cases developed clinical manifestation with erythema migrans recidivans, multiple erythema, or several non-specific systemic symptoms. Doxycycline and amoxicillin were mainly used for the treatment of borrelial skin lesions.
Conclusion: This assessment indicates the need for disease awareness and the importance of primary prevention measures, early diagnosis, and appropriate treatment.

Abstract (croatian)

Cilj istraživanja: Ne postoji nijedna objavljena studija o kliničkim osobitostima Lajmske bolesti na Kosovu, kao ni ona o seroprevalenciji. Ove činjenice potakle su nas na prospektivno istraživanje s glavnim ciljem utvrđivanja rizika nastanka lajmske borelioze nakon uboda krpelja na području Kosova.
Materijali i metode: U studiju je ukupno uključeno 380 ispitanika starijih od 18 godina koji su se, s pričvršćenim krpeljom, javili na pregled u Odjel hitnog prijema Klinike za infektivne bolesti Sveučilišnog kliničkog centra Kosova u Prištini, tijekom četverogodišnjeg razdoblja (siječanj 2015. – kolovoz 2018). Ispitanici su praćeni šest mjeseci nakon uključivanja u studiju, s ciljem utvrđivanja rizika aktiviranja Lajmske borelioze na osnovu pojave klinički manifestne bolesti, odnosno pojave serokonverzije protiv Borrelia burgdorferi.
Rezultati: Najveća aktivnost krpelja utvrđena je tijekom proljetnih mjeseci, svibnja i lipnja. U 74 ispitanika – 19,5% (95%CI 15,6-23,8) dijagnosticiran je solitarni erythema migrans (EM). Samo 15 klinički dijagnosticiranih EM (u seronegativnih bolesnika) serološki je potvrđeno serokonverzijom (2 mjeseca kasnije). U samo tri bolesnika razvile su se druge manifestacije infekcije borelijom – jedan je bolesnik imao recidivirajući formu EM, dok su druga dvojica imala ranu diseminiranu bolest. Bolesnici sa kožnom klinički manifestnom bolešću liječeni su sa doksiciklinom ili amoksicilinom.
Zaključak: Ova analiza lokalne epidemiološke situacije ukazuje na potrebu podizanja svijesti o ovoj bolesti i važnosti mjera primarne prevencije, rane dijagnoze i odgovarajućeg liječenja.

• Keywords: Borrelia burgdorferi; Doxycycline; Tick Bites; Amoxicillin; Ticks; Borrelia; Kosovo; Erythema Chronicum Migrans; Lyme Disease; Communicable Diseases
• Keywords (croatian): Borrelia burgdorferi; doksiciklin; ugrizi krpelja; Amoksicilin; krpelji; borelija; Kosovo; Erythema Chronicum Migrans; Lajmska bolest; zarazne bolesti
• Language: english
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:105:874026
• Study programme: Title: Biomedicine and Health Sciences; Study programme type: university; Study level: postgraduate; Academic / professional title: doktor/doktorica znanosti, područje biomedicine i zdravstvo (doktor/doktorica znanosti, područje biomedicine i zdravstvo)
• Type of resource: Text
• Extent: 84 str.
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Open access
• Public note: Sumentor: Salih Ahmeti
• Created on: 2021-10-25 11:37:24