LYME BORRELIOSIS - ENDEMIC DISEASE IN CHILDREN OF TERNOPIL REGION

The aim of research is to estimate the number of LB-infected ticks and to evaluate their LB pathogen's genotype in children with clinical suspicion of Lyme borreliosis in the Ternopil region, Ukraine. In our first part of the study we conducted survey of 795 patients with clinical suspicion of Lyme borreliosis. In our second study we did laboratory analysis of the 795 ticks and 109 blood samples from children that were bitten by a tick. Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) using Vector-Best production test systems were used to detect infected ticks and evaluate pathogen's genotype. Only 267 (33.5%) children from the total number were bitten by infected ticks. The following forms of the lesion were noted:-skin - erythema form in 83 (76.1%) children, nervous system in 20 (18.3%), arthritis in 13 (11.9%) and heart in 1 (0.9%). The remaining (59.2.%) of children at the time of the study had no external manifestations and other clinical signs of the disease. LB was caused by one or a combination of the few pathogens: B.burgdorferi s.l., A.phagocytophilum, and B . miyamotoi. The DNA of several infectious pathogens B.burgdorferi s.l., A. phagocytophilum, B. Miyamotoi simultaneously were diagnosed in (12.3 %). We identify antibodies to the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in 57.7.% of the examined children. The types of pathogens influence on Lyme borreliosis clinical symptoms and therefore on the timing of the diagnosing.