Abstract
In the southern parts of Sweden a Borrelia infection transmitted by the tick Ixodes ricinus may affect man, In the present study antibodies to Borrelia spirochetes were studied in sera from 58 cows, 68 calves and 13 lambs from areas in southern Sweden where Ixodes ricinus occurs. For comparison, serologic studies were also performed on 88 cows and 10 lambs from the northern parts of Sweden.
Serum titers of > 80 were found in 14 of the calves and 23 of the cows from southern Sweden but in only 1 of the cows from northern Sweden. In 11 of the lambs from the south a serum titer of > 40 developed. None of the lambs from the north had a serum titer of > 40. The results indicate that cattle and sheep in certain areas of Sweden are exposed to Ixodes ricinus-borne Borrelia spirochetes.
In 9 of the lambs from southern Sweden: an endemically occurring arthritis had developed. The possibility that this arthritis may be caused by Borrelia spirochetes is discussed.
Keywords: Ixodes ricinus, arthritis
Sammanfattning
Det har nyligen visats att Borrelia spiroketer som överförs av Ixodes ricinus fästingar orsakar infektion hos människa. Denna borrelios förekommer endemiskt i södra och mellersta delarna av Sverige.
58 kor, 68 kalvar och 13 lamm från södra Sverige och 88 kor och 10 lamm från norra Sverige har undersökts med avseende på förekomsten av serum antikroppar mot Borrelia spiroketer. Serum titrar > 80 påvisades hos 14 av kalvarna och 23 av korna från södra Sverige men endast hos en av korna från norra Sverige. 11 av lammen från södra Sverige erhöll efter betessäsongen en serum titer > 40. Inget av de nordsvenska lammen hade serum titer > 40. Resultaten tyder pä att nötkreatur och får i vissa områden av Sverige är exponerade för Ixodes ricinus överförda spiroketer.
Nio av de undersökta lammen från södra Sverige hade drabbats av en endemiskt förekommande artrit. Hypotesen att denna artrit orsakas av Borrelia spiroketer diskuteras.
Full Text
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Acknowledgments
We thank Elisabeth Ishizaki for skilful technical assistance. This work was supported by grants from the Welander foundation and from the Swedish Medical Research Council (grant 7935).
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