Lyme As An Occupational Disease

Year 2017, Volume 2, Issue 1(4), 9 - 9, 01.11.2017

Emre Özaslan Muhsin Akbaba Mehmet Gökdeniz

Abstract

Lyme disease is caused by the
bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted to humans through the bite of
infected blacklegged ticks. Lyme disease is the most commonly reported
tick-borne disease in the United States. Case reports and studies are scarce
about lyme; its epidemiology in our country is not well known, but also lyme
seropositivity has been shown by these limited studies.

The Lyme disease bacterium normally lives in mice, squirrels, and other small
mammals.

Outdoor workers in endemic areas are at risk of Lyme if they work at sites with
infected ticks. Worksites with woods, bushes, high grass, or leaf litter are
likely to have more ticks.

All outdoor workers at risk of Lyme disease include; construction, landscaping,
forestry, brush clearing, land surveying, farming, railroad work, oil field
work, utility line work, park or wildlife management. Anyone has contact with
animals that may carry the ticks (including domestic animals like dogs, cats,
goats, cows…) and as an occupation veterinarians are at risk.

In a study made by Brian et al in USA, it is found that lyme disease
seroprevalence increased 2.3 folds in outdoor employees recent 3 years.

Bown et al calculated a % 1 incidence rate for lyme disease in New Jersey state
and showed higher risk in outdoor persoils than those working indoors.

In a study made by Thorin et al in France, seroprevalance of Lyme disease is
calculated of about %26 in a rural area and the risk was significantly higher
in woodcutters.

Kuiper et al investigated Lyme disease among forestry workers in the
Netherlands, with a three-fold higher seroprevalence than among matched
controls.

As a conclusion Lyme borreliosis is an occupational disease,often not diagnosed
among this high-risk group, warrants more attention to achieve early
recognition and to prevent late complications.

 

 

Keywords: lyme,
ocuupational health, risky groups

Keywords

Lyme As An Occupational Disease

References

• Emre Özaslan, Muhsin Akbaba, Mehmet Gökdeniz Cukurova University Faculty of Medicine, Public Health Department, Adana