A prospective study among patients presenting at the general practitioner with a tick bite or erythema migrans in The Netherlands.

ABSTRACT:

Background

We performed a nationwide prospective study on the transmission risk for Borrelia to humans, investigating symptoms and serology at enrolment and three months after tick bites, and after standard treatment for erythema migrans (EM). Aiming to quantify the infection risk at point of care by physicians, we explored risk factors such as tick testing for Borrelia and assessment of the duration of the tick's blood meal.

Methods and findings

Questionnaires, blood samples and ticks from patients who consulted one of 307 general practitioners for tick bites (n = 327) or EM (n = 283) in 2007 and 2008, were collected at enrolment and three months later at follow-up. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato DNA was detected in 29.3% of 314 ticks, using PCR/reverse line blot and real-

SUBMITTER: Hofhuis A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3655959 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature