Epidemiological, Clinical and Analytical Features in Lyme Borreliosis Patients Seropositive for .

Lyme borreliosis (LB), caused by sensu lato (s.l.) and babesiosis, caused by and , are both transmitted by the ixodid tick . Although these diseases coexist in Spain and other European regions, no studies have been carried out to assess the impact on the health of patients exposed to both causative pathogens. This retrospective study, conducted in Asturias in northwestern Spain between 2015 and 2017, analyzed the possible complications arising from exposure to these pathogens. To this end, the epidemiological, clinical and analytical features of two groups of a cohort of 120 LB patients exposed to one or two of the pathogens were compared. The cohort comprised 73 patients who had only been infected with s.l. (Bb group) and 47 patients who were seropositive for / in addition to being infected with s.l. (BbBdv group). The results showed that LB patients who had also been exposed to infection with spp. (BbBdv group) had significantly more cardiorespiratory symptoms, in particular dyspnea and first- and second-degree atrioventricular (AV) blocks, compared to those who had been infected with s.l. alone (Bb group). No relevant differences in other symptoms, epidemiological factors or analytical tests were observed between the two groups.