EPIDEMIOLOGICAL CRITERIA AND SEROLOGICAL DIAGNOSIS OF LYME BORRELIOSIS IN HEALTHCARE WORKERS OF TERNOPIL REGION WHO HAVE BEEN ILL WITH COVID-19
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11603/1811-2471.2024.v.i1.14529Keywords:
Lyme borreliosis, tick bite, specific antibodies, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), COVID-19, healthcare workersAbstract
SUMMARY. The aim – to investigate the epidemiological features of Lyme borreliosis and to establish the frequency of detection of specific IgM and/or IgG antibodies to B. burgdorferi s. l. in healthcare workers who have who have been ill with COVID-19.
Material and Methods. The study included 52 healthcare workers of Zalishchyky Central City Hospital and Kremenets Reference Hospital who were treated for COVID-19 in 2020-2023 as outpatients and inpatients, aged 24 to 65 years. There were 2 men (3.8 %) and 50 women (96.2 %). The total specific IgM and IgG antibodies to Lyme borreliosis pathogens (B. burgdorferi s.l. complex) in the serum of 52 healthcare workers were determined by ELISA using test systems from Euroimmun AG (Germany). For the laboratory diagnosis of COVID-19 (coronavirus RNA), the Biocore® SARS-CoV-2 reagent kit was used.
Results. A single episode of COVID-19 was reported by 22 (42.3 %) out of 52 respondents. It should be noted that the number of reported cases of COVID-19 among the surveyed healthcare workers was higher in 2020 compared to 2023: 37.5 % vs. 6.3 %, p<0.05. A positive PCR result for SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in 43 (82.7 %) of 52 respondents, and a negative result in 9 (17.3 %). Outpatient treatment was provided to 37 (71.2 %) of 52 healthcare workers who have been ill with COVID-19, while 15 (28.8 %) were hospitalized in inpatient departments of Ternopil region hospitals.
The fact of a tick bite was reported by 23 (44.2 %) of the respondents. A single tick bite was reported by 16 (69.6 %) of the 23 people who reported a tick bite in their history, two ticks were reported by 5 (21.7 %), and multiple ticks were reported by 2 (8.7 %) respondents. Most often, in 14 (60.9 %) cases, tick bites occurred in rural areas. Specific antibodies of class M were detected in 19 (36.5 %) of 52 people, antibodies of class G – in 6 (11.5 %), of which IgM and IgG simultaneously – in 3 (5.8 %).
Conclusions. It was found that 28.8 % of healthcare workers with COVID-19 were hospitalized in inpatient departments of hospitals in Ternopil region, 26.7 % of whom received oxygen therapy for respiratory failure. A tick bite was reported by 23 (44.2 %) of 52 healthcare workers with COVID-19; most often, respondents reported a single bite in rural areas: 69.6 % and 60.9 %, respectively. Only 17.4 % of the surveyed healthcare workers in Ternopil region used the help of doctor or nurse to remove the tick. Specific IgM and IgG to B. burgdorferi s.l. complex were diagnosed in the serum of 42.3 % of healthcare workers who had COVID-19 by ELISA.
References
Melenko, S.R. (2023). Lime boreliosis: modern problem of infectology. In Colloquium-journal (No. 7 (166), pp. 8-13). DOI: 10.24412/2520-6990-2023-7166-8-13.
Shkilna, M.I. (2016). Lime borreLiosis in ForesTrY WorKers oF TernoPiL reGion. Infectious Diseases – Infektsiyni Khvoroby, (1). DOI: 10.11603/1681-2727.2016.1. 5957.
Tokarska-Rodak, M., Shkilna, M., Plewik, D., Pańczuk, A., Korda, M., Klishch, I., Paszkiewicz, J., & Andreychyn, M. (2017). Serological research towards Lyme borreliosis in hunters and forestry workers in selected areas of Poland and Ukraine. Health Problems of Civilization, 11(4), 287-292. DOI: 10.5114/hpc.2017.69024.
Andreychyn, M., Pańczuk, A., Shkilna, M., Tokarska-Rodak, M., Korda, M., Kozioł-Montewka, M., & Klishch, I. (2017). Epidemiological situation of Lyme borreliosis and diagnosis standards in Poland and Ukraine. Health Problems of Civilization, 3, 190-194. DOI: 10.5114/hpc.2017.69020.
Szewczyk-Dąbrowska, A., Budziar, W., Harhala, M., Baniecki, K., Pikies, A., Jędruchniewicz, N., ... & Dąbrowska, K. (2022). Correlation between COVID-19 severity and previous exposure of patients to Borrelia spp. Scientific Reports, 12(1). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-20202-x.
Novak, C.B., Scheeler, V.M., & Aucott, J.N. (2021). Lyme Disease in the Era of COVID-19: A Delayed Diagnosis and Risk for Complications. Case Reports in Infectious Diseases, 2021, 1-4. DOI: 10.1155/2021/6699536.
Ross Russell, A.L., Dryden, M.S., Pinto, A.A., & Lovett, J.K. (2018). Lyme disease: diagnosis and management. Practical Neurology, 18(6), 455-464. DOI: 10.1136/practneurol-2018-001998.
Chomel, B. (2015). Lyme disease. Revue Scientifique et Technique de l’OIE, 34(2), 569-576. DOI: 10.20506/rst.34.2.2380.
Sanyaolu, A., Okorie, C., Marinkovic, A., Patidar, R., Younis, K., Desai, P., Hosein, Z., Padda, I., Mangat, J., & Altaf, M. (2020). Comorbidity and its Impact on Patients with COVID-19. SN Comprehensive Clinical Medicine, 2(8), 1069-1076. DOI: 10.1007/s42399-020-00363-4.
Ng, W.H., Tipih, T., Makoah, N.A., Vermeulen, J.-G., Goedhals, D., Sempa, J.B., Burt, F.J., Taylor, A., & Mahalingam, S. (2021). Comorbidities in SARS-CoV-2 Patients: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. mBio, 12(1). DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03647-20.
Thakur, B., Dubey, P., Benitez, J., Torres, J.P., Reddy, S., Shokar, N., Aung, K., Mukherjee, D., & Dwivedi, A.K. (2021). A systematic review and meta-analysis of geographic differences in comorbidities and associated severity and mortality among individuals with COVID-19. Scientific Reports, 11(1). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-88130-w.
Sockrider, M., Jamil, S., Santhosh, L., & Carlos, W.G. (2020). COVID-19 Infection versus Influenza (Flu) and Other Respiratory Illnesses. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 202(10), P27-P28. DOI: 10.1164/rccm. 2020c16.
Galanta, Y. (2023). Medical and psychological components of post-COVID syndrome in patients with acute cerebrovascular disease. Psychosomatic Medicine and General Practice, 8(1). DOI: 10.26766/pmgp.v8i1.410.
Wesner, J.S., Van Peursem, D., Flores, J.D., Lio, Y., & Wesner, C.A. (2021). Forecasting Hospitalizations Due to COVID-19 in South Dakota, USA. Journal of Healthcare Informatics Research, 5(2), 218-229. DOI: 10.1007/s41666-021-00094-8.
Greenhalgh, T., Knight, M., A’Court, C., Buxton, M., & Husain, L. (2020). Management of post-acute covid-19 in primary care. BMJ, m3026. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.m3026.
Gupta, N., Dhamija, S., Patil, J., & Chaudhari, B. (2021). Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare workers. Industrial Psychiatry Journal, 30(3), 282. DOI: 10.4103/ 0972-6748.328830.
Operational information on the receipt of reports of acute occupational diseases with covid-19 during the performance of official duties – State Labour Service of Ukraine. State Labour Service of Ukraine – State Labour Service of Ukraine. (2020, May 22). Retrieved from: https://dsp.gov.ua/operativna-informacia-covid19/.
Andreychyn, M.A., Markiv, B.Y., Zavidniuk, N.H., & Iosyk, I.I. (2022). Occupational incidence of COVID-19 in healthcare professionals. Infectious Diseases – Infektsiyni Khvoroby, 4, 21-25. DOI: 10.11603/1681-2727.2021.4. 12835.
Shtokailo, K.B., Cruz, J.C., Cruz, I.D., Andreychyn, M.A., Shkilna, M.I., Ivahiv, O.L., & Korda, M.M. (2021). Serological diagnostic of tick-borne infections in patients with localized scleroderma. Infectious Diseases – Infektsiyni Khvoroby, 3, 33-42. DOI: 10.11603/1681-2727.2021.3.12490.
