Hoeve-Bakker B J A, Çelik G, van den Berg O E, van den Wijngaard C C, Hofhuis A, Reimerink J H J, Thijsen S F T, Kerkhof K
Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, the Netherlands; Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Diakonessenhuis Hospital, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, the Netherlands.
Ticks Tick Borne Dis. 2025 Jan;16(1):102397. doi: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102397. Epub 2024 Sep 14.
The incidence of tick-borne infections other than Lyme borreliosis and tick-borne encephalitis is rising in Europe, including the Netherlands. Nature management workers, being highly exposed to ticks, serve as valuable sentinels for seroprevalence studies on tick-borne pathogens (TBPs). This study assessed nature management workers' seropositivity to TBPs including Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Babesia divergens, B. microti, Borrelia burgdorferi s.l., Rickettsia conorii and R. typhi in the Netherlands. In addition, the study examined coexposure to multiple TBPs and identified risk factors for B. burgdorferi s.l.- and A. phagocytophilum-seropositivity. The study included 525 nature management workers who donated serum and completed a questionnaire. Sera were analysed for exposure to A. phagocytophilum, B. divergens, B. microti, R. conorii and R. typhi using immunofluorescence assays. For B. burgdorferi s.l. antibody detection, the recommended two-tier testing strategy was used. Risk factor analysis was performed using logistic regression modelling. Seropositivity was 30.9 % for B. burgdorferi s.l.; 16.4 % for A. phagocytophilum; 6.5 % for R. conorii; 2.3 % for R. typhi; 4.2 % for B. divergens; and 0.4 % for B. microti. Almost half (49.3 %) of the participants demonstrated seropositivity for one or more pathogens. Risk factors for B. burgdorferi s.l.-seropositivity included being male, increasing age and tick bite frequency. For A. phagocytophilum-seropositivity, increasing age and working in North Holland province were significant risk factors. This study illustrates the exposure to TBPs in the Netherlands, emphasizing the need for ongoing vigilance and international collaborations to better understand and address the growing threat of TBPs in regions with demonstrated environmental TBP circulation.
在欧洲，包括荷兰，除莱姆病螺旋体病和蜱传脑炎之外的蜱传感染发病率正在上升。自然保护工作者因高度暴露于蜱虫，成为蜱传病原体（TBP）血清流行率研究的重要哨兵。本研究评估了荷兰自然保护工作者对包括嗜吞噬细胞无形体、分歧巴贝斯虫、微小巴贝斯虫、伯氏疏螺旋体狭义种、康氏立克次体和伤寒立克次体在内的TBP的血清阳性率。此外，该研究还检测了多种TBP的共同暴露情况，并确定了伯氏疏螺旋体狭义种和嗜吞噬细胞无形体血清阳性的危险因素。该研究纳入了525名捐献血清并填写问卷的自然保护工作者。采用免疫荧光试验分析血清中嗜吞噬细胞无形体、分歧巴贝斯虫、微小巴贝斯虫、康氏立克次体和伤寒立克次体的暴露情况。对于伯氏疏螺旋体狭义种抗体检测，采用了推荐的两层检测策略。使用逻辑回归模型进行危险因素分析。伯氏疏螺旋体狭义种的血清阳性率为30.9%；嗜吞噬细胞无形体为16.4%；康氏立克次体为6.5%；伤寒立克次体为2.3%；分歧巴贝斯虫为4.2%；微小巴贝斯虫为0.4%。近一半（49.3%）的参与者对一种或多种病原体呈血清阳性。伯氏疏螺旋体狭义种血清阳性的危险因素包括男性、年龄增长和蜱叮咬频率增加。对于嗜吞噬细胞无形体血清阳性，年龄增长和在北荷兰省工作是显著危险因素。本研究阐明了荷兰TBP的暴露情况，强调需要持续保持警惕并开展国际合作，以更好地了解和应对在已证明存在环境TBP传播的地区TBP日益增长的威胁。
