Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 5, 2025
07:20
Detecting the Lyme Disease Spirochete, Borrelia Burgdorferi, in Ticks Using Nested PCR
Published on: February 4, 2018
18.0K
Lyme disease in Poland in 2022
Jakub Maciej Zbrzeżniak1, Iwona Paradowska-Stankiewicz1
1Zakład Epidemiologii Chorób Zakaźnych i Nadzoru, Narodowy Instytut Zdrowia Publicznego PZH - Państwowy Instytut Badawczy.
Przeglad Epidemiologiczny
|December 11, 2024
Summary
Lyme disease cases in Poland significantly increased by 38.96% in 2022, with hospitalizations rising by 88.81%. This trend suggests a return to pre-pandemic epidemiological levels, particularly in eastern Poland.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Lyme disease, transmitted by Ixodes ticks, has been mandatory to report in Poland since 1996.
- Neuroborreliosis cases are reported to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) since 2019.
- Diagnosis is challenging due to varied symptoms, often requiring two-stage serological testing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the epidemiological situation of Lyme disease in Poland in 2022.
- To compare the 2022 Lyme disease data with previous years.
- To identify trends in incidence and hospitalization rates.
Main Methods:
- Data collected from voivodeship sanitary-epidemiological stations.
- Utilized data published in the bulletin "Infectious diseases and poisoning in Poland in 2022".
- Analyzed epidemiological trends and geographical distribution of Lyme disease cases.
Main Results:
- 17,369 Lyme disease cases and 776 hospitalizations were registered in 2022.
- A 38.96% increase in cases and an 88.81% rise in hospitalizations compared to the previous year.
- Highest incidence rates observed in Podlaskie, Małopolskie, and Lubelskie voivodeships, with a noticeable seasonal pattern.
Conclusions:
- Lyme disease epidemiology is returning to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.
- The percentage of hospitalized cases increased to 4.5% in 2022.
- Eastern Poland consistently shows the highest incidence of Lyme disease.
