RISK OF TICK-BORNE BACTERIAL DISEASES IN FORESTRY WORKERS OF TERNOPIL REGION (WESTERN UKRAINE)

Background. The aim of the study was to evaluate the awareness of Lyme borreliosis

prevention and risk of being infected with the Borrelia burgdorferi in the forestry workers of

Ternopil Region. To achieve the objective, serological tests were performed.


Material and methods. The studies were conducted by diagnosing serum in 348 employees

of Ternopil Region for anti-Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. antibodies by ELISA test. The age of

the examined persons ranged from 17 to 75, mean age - 38.9 years. All the participants

completed а questionnaire. The forestry workers were asked to state whether they noticed

any symptoms compatible with Lyme borreliosis.


Results. 348 forestry workers employed in five forest inspectorates were examined for

specific anti-Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. antibodies. With ELISA test, a positive or inconclusive

result in at least one antibody was observed in 43.1% of the respondents (n=150 of 348): IgM

antibody − in 14.6% (n=51 of 348), and IgG antibody – in 35.3% (n=123 of 348). The largest

number of respondents in the study group, i.e. 35.3%, were bitten in the abdomen area. As

for the methods of tick removal, most respondents pulled the tick out with fingers (35.9%),

while only 6.0% turned to a physician or nurse to have it removed. Erythema migrans (47%)

and pruritis (31%) were the most frequent symptoms among the participants.


Conclusions. T he absence of t he official r ecognition of Lyme b orreliosis a s a n o ccupational

disease in Ukraine makes the study of prevention measures and their distribution in professional

groups working in wooded areas an urgent matter. Providing the forest administration units

with a sufficient number of tweezers or special loops for tick removal would certainly increase

the protection of those exploiting forests against work-related tick-borne diseases.