RESULTS OF THE STUDENTS’ QUESTIONNAIRE OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS OF TERNOPIL REGARD TO TICKS BITE

Abstract

A survey of 278 students of 1–5 courses of I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University and Volodymyr Hnatyuk Ternopil National Pedagogical University was conducted. The results show that most of the participants in the survey were attacked by Ixodes mites in various anthropogenic and natural habitats. About 14 % of respondents went to specialized laboratories for blood tests to detect pathogens of infectious diseases or antigens to these pathogens. 10 respondents were diagnosed with borreliosis.

The aim – to investigate the peculiarities of student mite infestation based on the place of residence of survey participants, the frequency of their visits to habitats dangerous to tick activity and to analyze the behavior of ticks affected, their treatment, knowledge of tick biology and the spread of tick-borne pathogens.

Material and Methods. 374 online questionnaires were sent and 278 responses were received from students of two educational institutions.

Results and Disscussion. According to the results of the survey, more than 63 % of respondents live permanently in urban areas, about 60 % of respondents rarely or almost do not visit places with high tick activity, but more than 80 % of them have been repeatedly bitten by ticks. This clearly indicates that Ixodes mites are active not only in natural biocenoses, but also in urbocenoses. Among tick-infected students, only 14 % sought specialized laboratories. 10 students were diagnosed with borreliosis.

Conclussions. More than 66 % are residents of large and small towns and urban-type settlements, but about 80 % of respondents show tick attacks with varying frequency, which was probably facilitated by their visitings of parks, squares, gardens, green house plantings; of the 14 % of young people, who were bitten by ticks and approached specialized laboratories for testing for infectious diseases in the blood, almost 2 % were positive and were diagnosed with borreliosis; about 25 % of respondents know almost nothing about borreliosis, and more than 33 % could not correctly answer the question "What organisms cause borreliosis?", another 40 % - did not know pathogens other than borreliosis, which carry Ixodes mites.