Epidemiology and laboratory diagnosis of lyme disease
Diseases Transmitted by Ticks, NOVA Publications , ss.39-51, 2021
- Yayın Türü: Kitapta Bölüm / Araştırma Kitabı
- Basım Tarihi: 2021
- Yayınevi: NOVA Publications
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.39-51
- Sağlık Bilimleri Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Although Lyme disease (LD) or Lyme borreliosis is also reported from some Asian countries and Australia, it is the most common vector-borne disease in America and Europe. Lyme disease is a zoonosis that is caused by the spirochete called Borrelia burgdorferi and spread especially by Ixodes ticks. Many studies have been conducted on the biology and pathogenesis of Borrelia burgdorferi since its isolation in 1982. Furthermore, significant financial investments have also been made for the vaccination and treatment of Lyme disease. The gradual increase in the tick population, the increased incidence of the disease, and the presence of many unknowns about the disease have increased the interest in Lyme borreliosis nowadays. This disease, which is common throughout the Northern Hemisphere, continues to increase globally. Reasons for the spread of LD and the increase in the number of cases are argued to be the conversion of forested areas into agricultural lands, population growth in rural areas, the extinction of deer, climate changes, and the increased human invasion of spirochete-containing habitats. The genus Borrelia is a bacterial species community that has attracted significant interest in the last decades due to its importance for human health. Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative pathogen of Lyme disease, and the epidemiology and laboratory diagnosis of Lyme disease are discussed in this chapter.