O'Connell S, Granström M, Gray J S, Stanek G
PHLS Laboratory, Southampton University Hospital Trust, UK.
Zentralbl Bakteriol. 1998 Mar;287(3):229-40. doi: 10.1016/s0934-8840(98)80124-2.
Lyme borreliosis occurs throughout Europe and is particularly prevalent in the east. In a small proportion of untreated cases serious sequelae may occur, but Lyme borreliosis alone does not cause death. Clinical and serological diagnosis can still be problematic and the various genomospecies may cause different disease manifestations as well as differing immunological responses. However, considerable progress has been made in standardising case definitions and serological testing and interpretation. Few countries have official reporting systems for Lyme borreliosis and most figures on incidence are extrapolated from serodiagnosis data and seroprevalence studies. Geographical variations in incidence seem to correlate with the prevalence of infected ticks, which are mainly associated with varied deciduous forest. The complex ecology of Lyme borreliosis makes it difficult to implement preventive measures, so improving public knowledge of risk factors and methods for personal protection remain the best option at present.
莱姆病在整个欧洲都有发生，在东部地区尤为普遍。在一小部分未经治疗的病例中，可能会出现严重的后遗症，但仅莱姆病本身不会导致死亡。临床和血清学诊断仍可能存在问题，不同的基因种可能会导致不同的疾病表现以及不同的免疫反应。然而，在标准化病例定义以及血清学检测和解读方面已经取得了相当大的进展。很少有国家设有莱姆病官方报告系统，大多数发病率数据是从血清诊断数据和血清流行率研究中推断出来的。发病率的地理差异似乎与受感染蜱虫的流行情况相关，而蜱虫主要与不同的落叶林有关。莱姆病复杂的生态环境使得实施预防措施变得困难，因此目前提高公众对风险因素和个人防护方法的认识仍然是最佳选择。
