Prospective Assesment of the Etiology of Acute Febrile Illness after a Tick Bite in Slovenia

Authors

Stanka Lotric-Furlan, University Medical Center, Ljubljana
Miroslav Petrovec, Institute for Microbiology and Immunology, Ljubljana
Tatjana Avsic-Zupanc, Institute for Microbiology and Immunology, Ljubljana
William L. Nicholson, hCenters for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta
John W. Sumner, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta
James E. Childs, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, AtlantaFollow
Franc Strle, University Medical Center, Ljubljana

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2001

Comments

Published in Clinical Infectious Diseases 2001;33:503-10

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 Borreliab urgdorfersie sensu lato was identified in 26 patients; 10 (7.7%) had confirmed Lyme borreliosis. Of 22 patients with evidence of Ehrlichiap hagocytophila 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.