Seroprevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato antibodies in English adult blood donors: A nationwide cross-sectional study, 2021–2022

IF 3.4 2区医学 Q2 INFECTIOUS DISEASES

Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases Pub Date : 2025-01-01 DOI:10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102439

Eilish Hart , John Tulloch , Daniel Bailey , Tim Brooks , Heli Harvala , Peter Simmonds , Roberto Vivancos , Neil French , Amanda Semper

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Estimates of Lyme disease incidence in England are based on reporting of cases with a laboratory-confirmed diagnosis only, underestimating total cases. In 2017 - 2018, two independent reviews commissioned by the UK Government highlighted the lack of official data on Lyme disease prevalence and incidence as a critical knowledge gap.

Aim

To estimate the prevalence of IgG antibodies in the English adult population specific for Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Bbsl), the causative agent of Lyme disease.

Methods

The prevalence of Bbsl-specific antibodies in the English population was estimated in a cross-sectional cohort, selected from an archive of residual NHS blood donor plasma samples (age range 17 - 84, collected between 2021 - 2022). 10,000 samples were randomly selected proportionate to the population size of each of the nine English administrative regions. 9,994 samples were tested using a standard two-tiered testing strategy, with an IgG/IgM ELISA followed by an IgG immunoblot (array) test for any sera with positive or indeterminate reactivity in the ELISA.

Results

Out of the 9,994 samples tested, 482 were seroreactive by screening ELISA. After two-tier testing, 49 were confirmed positive. Regional and demographic differences in seroprevalence were observed after two-tier testing, but due to the low overall seroprevalence, were not significant upon multivariable analysis.

Conclusion

The seroprevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato-specific IgG in the English adult population (2021 - 2022), determined using two-tier testing was estimated at 0.49 % (95 % CI 0.36 – 0.65). This is lower than neighbouring UK nation Scotland and other northern European countries.

Abstract Image

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英国成年献血者伯氏疏螺旋体抗体的血清阳性率：2021-2022年全国横断面研究

背景：对英国莱姆病发病率的估计仅基于实验室确诊病例的报告，低估了总病例。2017年至2018年，英国政府委托进行的两项独立审查强调，缺乏莱姆病流行和发病率的官方数据是一个严重的知识缺口。目的：了解英国成人莱姆病病原伯氏疏螺旋体（Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Bbsl）特异性IgG抗体的流行情况。方法：在横断队列中估计英国人群中bbsl特异性抗体的患病率，该队列选择自NHS剩余献血者血浆样本档案（年龄范围为17 - 84岁，收集于2021 - 2022年之间）。根据英国9个行政区的人口规模随机抽取了1万个样本。使用标准的两层检测策略对9994份样本进行检测，首先进行IgG/IgM ELISA，然后对ELISA反应性阳性或不确定的任何血清进行IgG免疫印迹（阵列）检测。结果：在9994份样本中，482份经ELISA筛选血清反应。经两级检测，确诊阳性49例。两层检测后观察到血清阳性率的地区和人口差异，但由于总体血清阳性率较低，在多变量分析中无显著性差异。结论：在英国成年人群（2021 - 2022年）中，采用双层检测测定的伯氏疏螺旋体特异性IgG血清阳性率估计为0.49% （95% CI 0.36 - 0.65）。这比邻国英国苏格兰和其他北欧国家都要低。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases INFECTIOUS DISEASES-MICROBIOLOGY

CiteScore

6.90

自引率

12.50%

发文量

185

审稿时长

6-12 weeks

期刊介绍： Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases is an international, peer-reviewed scientific journal. It publishes original research papers, short communications, state-of-the-art mini-reviews, letters to the editor, clinical-case studies, announcements of pertinent international meetings, and editorials. The journal covers a broad spectrum and brings together various disciplines, for example, zoology, microbiology, molecular biology, genetics, mathematical modelling, veterinary and human medicine. Multidisciplinary approaches and the use of conventional and novel methods/methodologies (in the field and in the laboratory) are crucial for deeper understanding of the natural processes and human behaviour/activities that result in human or animal diseases and in economic effects of ticks and tick-borne pathogens. Such understanding is essential for management of tick populations and tick-borne diseases in an effective and environmentally acceptable manner.