Prospective assessment of the etiology of acute febrile illness after a tick bite in Slovenia

Clin Infect Dis. 2001 Aug 15;33(4):503-10. doi: 10.1086/322586. Epub 2001 Jul 9.

Abstract

A prospective study established the etiology of febrile illnesses in residents of Slovenia that occurred within 6 weeks after a tick bite. A combination of laboratory and clinical criteria identified 64 (49.2%) of 130 patients as having confirmed, probable, or possible cases of tickborne disease during 1995 and 1996. Of the 130 patients, 36 (27.7%) had laboratory evidence of tickborne encephalitis, all of whom had clinically confirmed disease. Evidence of infection with Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato was identified in 26 patients; 10 (7.7%) had confirmed Lyme borreliosis. Of 22 patients with evidence of Ehrlichia phagocytophila infection, 4 (3.1%) had confirmed ehrlichiosis. Infection by multiple organisms was found in 19 (14.6%) of 130 patients. Patients with meningeal involvement (43 [72.3%] of 59) were more likely to have confirmed tickborne disease than were patients with illness of undefined localization (18 [26.5%] of 68; P<.0001). Tickborne viral and bacterial infections are an important cause of febrile illness in Slovenia.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Animals
  • Bites and Stings*
  • Borrelia burgdorferi Group / isolation & purification
  • Cohort Studies
  • Ehrlichia / isolation & purification
  • Ehrlichia chaffeensis / isolation & purification
  • Ehrlichiosis / diagnosis
  • Ehrlichiosis / microbiology
  • Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne / immunology
  • Encephalitis, Tick-Borne / diagnosis
  • Encephalitis, Tick-Borne / virology
  • Female
  • Fever / etiology*
  • Humans
  • Lyme Disease / diagnosis
  • Lyme Disease / microbiology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Prospective Studies
  • Slovenia
  • Tick-Borne Diseases / diagnosis*
  • Tick-Borne Diseases / microbiology
  • Tick-Borne Diseases / virology
  • Ticks*