ORIGINAL PAPER
Prevalence of tick-borne pathogens at various workplaces in forest exploitation environment
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Institute of Rural Health / Instytut Medycyny Wsi im. W. Chodźki, Lublin, Poland
(Department of Zoonoses / Zakład Chorób Odzwierzęcych)
Corresponding author
Ewa Cisak
Institute of Rural Health, Department of Zoonoses,
Jaczewskiego 2, 20-090 Lublin, Poland
Med Pr Work Health Saf. 2014;65(5):575-81
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ABSTRACT
Background: The objective of the study was the evaluation of the infection of ticks with pathogenic microorganisms at various
workplaces (timber acquisition, forest growing, forest cultivation, forest protection). Material and Methods: Eight hundred sixty
one Ixodes ricinus ticks collected from 4 workplaces were examined for the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum
and Babesia microti by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Then, a comparative analysis of the relative density and
infection of ticks at individual workplaces was done. In the statistical analysis, Chi2 test, and Pearson’s test for correlation were applied.
Results: The differences in infection (15.9–50%) of ticks with B. burgdorferi between the examined workplaces were highly
significant, with the highest percentage observed at forest growing. The percentages of infection of ticks with A. phagocytophilum
at individual workplaces ranged from 1.1–3.7%, and differences were statistically insignificant. The percentages of infections of
ticks with Babesia microti at individual workplaces fluctuated from 3.6–4.4% and differences were also insignificant. Co-infections
of ticks with 2 or 3 pathogens were rare. Conclusions: Co-infections with B. burgdorferi and B. microti showed a significant
relationship with the workplaces, while those with B. burgdorferi and A. phagocytophilum did not show such a dependence.
No significant positive correlation was found between the relative density of ticks and the frequencies of infections with B. burgdorferi,
A. phagocytophilum and B. microti. Med. Pr. 2014;65(5):575–581