Volume: 5 Table of Contents: I. LYMENET: Lyme Disease Network Fundraiser set for Oct 4 II. EUR J EPIDEMIOL: Prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi in Ixodes ricinus populations in France, according to a phytoecological zoning of the territory. III. S AFR MED J: Lyme disease in South Africa. IV. INT J EPIDEMIOL: The geographical distribution of tick bites and erythema migrans in general practice in The Netherlands. V. J INFECT DIS: Seroepidemiology of emerging tickborne infectious diseases in a Northern California community. VI. About The LymeNet Newsletter Newsletter: *********************************************************************** * The National Lyme Disease Network * * http://www.lymenet.org/ * * LymeNet Newsletter * *********************************************************************** IDX# Volume 5 / Number 09 / 08-SEP-97 IDX# INDEX IDX# IDX# I. LYMENET: Lyme Disease Network Fundraiser set for Oct 4 IDX# II. EUR J EPIDEMIOL: Prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi in IDX# Ixodes ricinus populations in France, according to a IDX# phytoecological zoning of the territory. IDX# III. S AFR MED J: Lyme disease in South Africa. IDX# IV. INT J EPIDEMIOL: The geographical distribution of tick IDX# bites and erythema migrans in general practice in The IDX# Netherlands. IDX# V. J INFECT DIS: Seroepidemiology of emerging tickborne IDX# infectious diseases in a Northern California community. IDX# VI. About The LymeNet Newsletter IDX# NOTE: For the most recent Lyme Disease headlines, visit the LymeNet Home Page on the Internet at: http://www.lymenet.org/ I. LYMENET: Lyme Disease Network Fundraiser set for Oct 4 ------------------------------------------------------------ Sender: Angela Bachmann <[email protected]> The second Annual Bachmann Bash for the LYME DISEASE NETWORK of New Jersey will take place on Saturday, October 4, 1997 at St. Michael's Church Hall in Paterson, New Jersey, from 7PM to 11PM. The non-profit Lyme Disease Network, which operates entirely on individual donations, is responsible for the LymeNet series of services available on the Internet since 1994. We are going to recreate the wonderful tradition that my grandfather Bachmann began in his Paterson bar many years ago. At "Paul's Tavern" dear friends and family gathered once a year for a huge party where they shared a day filled with singing, dancing, eating and laughter. We hope you can join us this year at the 2nd Annual Bachmann Bash where there will be music dancing, food, raffles and so much more! Thanks to our wonderful family and friends, the 1st Annual Bachmann Bash given for the Lyme Disease Network of NJ was a huge success! The Network is a non-profit foundation dedicated to educating the public about the prevention and treatment of Lyme and is a great source of comfort especially to the newly-afflicted. Our daughter, Lori, has Lyme Disease and, in this manner, we became acquainted with the LDN and the wonderful work they do. A variety of different medications have helped her regain much of her strength and she will be returning to her teaching position after almost a two-year absence! The Lyme Disease Network is able to operate solely on donations and it is so very important that we support them so that they'll be able to continue their Internet service. Please TRY to attend. If you're unable to do so, contributions will be gratefully accepted. Our best to you, Angela and Lou Bachmann ______________________________________________________________________ RSVP by 9/22/97 Proceeds to benefit the Lyme Disease Network of NJ Return this section with your check made payable to: Angela Bachmann 16 Willow CT, Totowa, NJ 07512 Ticket:$20 per person - If not attending, donations gratefully accepted Name__________________________________________________ Address_______________________________________________ #People_______________________________________________ Enclosed$_____________________________________________ Directions to the Bachmann Bash Party St. Michael's Church Hall Cianci & Market Street, Paterson, NJ If directions are needed, please email me. There is free parking in the church hall lot on the corner of Cianci & Market Sts; in the church lot behind the church on Elm (go left/left/left around the block due to one-way streets); in the city lot one block past the church hall on the corner of Cianci & Ellison (opposite La Trattoria). =====*===== II. EUR J EPIDEMIOL: Prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi in Ixodes ricinus populations in France, according to a phytoecological zoning of the territory. -------------------------------------------------------------------- AUTHORS: Gilot B, Degeilh B, Pichot J, Doche B, Guiguen C ORGANIZATION: Laboratoire de Parasitologie, Faculte de Medecine, Universite d'Aix-Marseille, France. REFERENCE: Eur J Epidemiol 1996 Aug;12(4):395-401 ABSTRACT: Ixodes ricinus is considered as the main vector of Lyme Borreliosis in France. The aim of our investigations was to obtain a comprehensive view of the spatial risk linked to the distribution of the species in our country. Previous studies [1] have provided strong evidence that the species populations are widely distributed, so the objective of the present work was to ascertain the bacteriological infection of the tick by the agent of the zoonosis (Borrelia burgdorferi, sensu lato), over the French territory, whatever the ecological conditions may be. For this purpose, we kept the same framework as that used in our acarological investigation, a phytoecological zoning of the territory into 54 geographically separate and ecologically distinct units distributed into three climatic zones. Batches of ticks, picked up in these different phytoecological units (only two thirds of which were sampled), were submitted for bacteriological investigation. A total of 4,673 ticks were examined, individually, for the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi, by immunofluorescence. Percentages of infection according to the various stages of Ixodes ricinus free stages, collected by flagging, were as follows: 4.95% in 3,247 nymphs, 11.2% in 699 males, 12.5% in 727 females. Larvae were ignored. Practically all the tested units harboured the bacterium. The percentage of tick samples (25 ticks or more) absolutely free of Borrelia, wherever they came from, is very low (not exceeding 10 percent of the sampled forests). Our study confirms the assessment of a widespread distribution of the zoonosis in France which was, until now, exclusively based on an approximate distribution of limited human cases observed in the country. =====*===== III. S AFR MED J: Lyme disease in South Africa. ------------------------------------------------ AUTHORS: Strijdom SC, Berk M ORGANIZATION: Department of Psychiatry, University of the Witwastersrand, Johannesburg. REFERENCE: S Afr Med J 1996 Jun;86(6 Suppl):741-4 ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVE: This article presents an overview of Lyme disease (LD) as it applies to neuropsychiatry and summarises research results on the epidemiology of LD in South Africa. METHOD: The study is based on a review of research papers from various medical disciplines that focused on the epidemiology of LD in South Africa. RESULTS: Assessment of the incidence of LD in South Africa is based on a few anecdotal studies. The results of the studies are dominated by experimental weeknesses. CONCLUSIONS: The sporadic nature of LD Incidence in South Africa may either reflect a restriction of research efforts or be a true indication of the epidemiology of the disease. This review lends support to the former hypothesis. The low reported incidence of LD in South Africa is probably due to a lack of awareness and research effort. =====*===== IV. INT J EPIDEMIOL: The geographical distribution of tick bites and erythema migrans in general practice in The Netherlands. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- AUTHORS: de Mik EL, van Pelt W, Docters-van Leeuwen BD, van der Veen A Schellekens JF, Borgdorff MW ORGANIZATION: Department for Infectious Diseases Epidemiology, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands. REFERENCE: Int J Epidemiol 1997 Apr;26(2):451-7 ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Lyme disease is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi which is transmitted in Europe by the tick ixodes ricinus. Erythema migrans is a skin lesion which is pathognomonic of Lyme disease. A retrospective study was carried out to determine the geographical distribution of the occurrence of tick bites and erythema migrans in the Netherlands and to identify ecological risk factors. METHODS: In April 1995, all general practitioners (GPs) in the Netherlands were asked to complete a postal questionnaire on the number of tick bites and erythema migrans case-patients seen in 1994 and the size of the practice. Reminders were sent to non-responders. Information on ecological risk factors by local government area was obtained from a geographical information system. RESULTS: The response rate was 79.9%. In 1994, GPs reported seeing approximately 33,000 patients with tick bites and 6500 with erythema migrans. The incidence rate of erythema migrans was estimated at 4.3 per 10,000 population. Ecological risk factors for both tick bites and erythema migrans were the proportion of the area covered by woods, sandy soil, dry uncultivated land, the number of tourist-nights per inhabitant and sheep population density. The cattle population density was a risk factor for erythema migrans. CONCLUSIONS: Using simple methods, a crude estimate of the incidence rate of erythema migrans was obtained rapidly, and high risk areas were identified. Lyme disease appears to be an important problem in the Netherlands. =====*===== V. J INFECT DIS: Seroepidemiology of emerging tickborne infectious diseases in a Northern California community. --------------------------------------------------------------------- AUTHORS: Fritz CL, Kjemtrup AM, Conrad PA, Flores GR, Campbell GL, Schriefer ME, Gallo D, Vugia DJ ORGANIZATION: Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA. ABSTRACT: A seroprevalence and risk factor study of emerging tickborne infectious diseases (Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, and babesiosis) was conducted among 230 residents of a semirural community in Sonoma County, California. Over 50% of residents reported finding a tick on themselves in the preceding 12 months. Samples from 51(23%) residents were seroreactive to antigens from one or more tickborne disease agents: 1.4% to Borrelia burgdorferi, 0.4% to Ehrlichia equi, 4.6% to Ehrlichia chaffeensis, and 17.8% to the Babesia-like piroplasm WA1. Only 14 (27%) of these seroreactive residents reported one or more symptoms compatible with these diseases. Seroreactivity was significantly associated with younger age (<16 years), longer residence in the community (11-20 years), and having had a physician's diagnosis of Lyme disease. In northern California, the risk of infection with these emerging tickborne diseases, particularly in children, may be greater than previously recognized. =====*===== VI. 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