Spatiotemporal trends and covariates of Lyme borreliosis incidence in Poland, 2010-2019.

Lyme borreliosis (LB) is the most commonly diagnosed tick-borne disease in the northern hemisphere. Since an efficient vaccine is not yet available, prevention of transmission is essential. This, in turn, requires a thorough comprehension of the spatiotemporal dynamics of LB transmission as well as underlying drivers. This study aims to identify spatiotemporal trends and unravel environmental and socio-economic covariates of LB incidence in Poland, using consistent monitoring data from 2010 through 2019 obtained for 320 (aggregated) districts. Using yearly LB incidence values, we identified an overall increase in LB incidence from 2010 to 2019. Additionally, we observed a large variation of LB incidences between the Polish districts, with the highest risks of LB in the eastern districts. We applied spatiotemporal Bayesian models in an all-subsets modeling framework to evaluate potential associations between LB incidence and various potentially relevant environmental and socio-economic variables, including climatic conditions as well as characteristics of the vegetation and the density of tick host species. The best-supported spatiotemporal model identified positive relationships between LB incidence and forest cover, the share of parks and green areas, minimum monthly temperature, mean monthly precipitation, and gross primary productivity. A negative relationship was found with human population density. The findings of our study indicate that LB incidence in Poland might increase as a result of ongoing climate change, notably increases in minimum monthly temperature. Our results may aid in the development of targeted prevention strategies.

Tick Infestation in Migratory Birds of the Vistula River Valley, Poland.

Migratory birds play an important role in the eco-epidemiology of tick-borne diseases due to their ability to carry ticks for long distances. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence and factors influencing the intensity of tick infestation in migratory birds. The study was conducted in a locality situated in the Vistula River valley, eastern Poland, during autumn, when the high migratory activity of birds is registered in the region. The birds were captured using ornithological nets and identified at the species level. In the next step, they were carefully inspected for attached ticks. Tick infestation was observed in 4.43% of the captured birds. The highest mean intensity of tick infestation was observed in birds foraging on the ground or in low shrubs and by long- and medium-distance migrants, i.e., Turdus merula (2.73), T. philomelos (2.04), and Erithacus rubecula (1.58). Ixodes ricinus was found to infest the birds most frequently. However, other tick species, i.e., I. trianguliceps, I. crenulatus (synonym I. canisuga), and I. apronophorus, rarely found in eastern Poland, were also found parasitizing birds. The occurrence of I. persulcatus, I. frontalis, and I. acuminatus (synonym I. redikorzevi) was confirmed in the region for the first time. The results of the study suggest that captured bird species are susceptible to tick infestation and could play an important role in the circulation of some tick-borne pathogens. They also play a significant role in the spread of ticks. The ecology and ethology of birds, including their foraging styles and migratory habits, are factors determining the risk of exposure of birds to tick attacks.

[Prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies among adults in Poland--results of cross-sectional study in general population]. / Rozpowszechnienie przeciwcial anty-HCV wsród osób doroslych w Polsce--wyniki badania przekrojowego w populacji ogólnej.

UNLABELLED: According to WHO data, there are 130-170 million hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected persons world-wide. Data on the prevalence of HCV infection in Poland is still insufficient. OBJECTIVE: The aim of study was to determine the prevalence of HCV infection in the general population in Poland and to characterize the positive predictive value of the ELISA screening test. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 4822 persons aged 18+ and hospitalized on surgical, trauma-orthopedic and laryngological wards in Lubelskie, Mazowieckie, Swietokrzyskie, Warminsko-Mazurskie and Wielkopolskie voivodeships were enrolled into the study. The scheme of cluster sampling was applied. Hospitals wards were selected randomly from Health Care Units Registers. Detection of anti-HCV antibodies was performed using the 4th generation qualitative ELISA test (Dia Sorin, Murex). All positives samples were subject to further testing by Western Blot and retested by ELISA. According to ELISA test producers instructions, samples that were repeatedly reactive were considered as positive (reactive). Using the confirmation test (Western Blot), antibodies directed against specific antigens of HCV (C1, C2, E2, NS3, NS4, NS5) were determined. To determine the prevalence of HCV infections, repeatedly reactive ELISA samples, confirmed by Western Blot (WB) were used. In order to estimate the prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies in general population, indirect standardization according to age groups (<30, 30-49, 50-69, >or =70), gender and place of residence (urban/rural) was employed. RESULTS: Initially positive ELISA test results were obtained in 92/4822 patients (1.91%) and repeatedly positive results--in 46/4822 patients (0.95%). The presence of anti-HCV was confirmed by WB in 54/4822 (1.12%), which constituted 58.7% (54/92) of single-reactive samples and 95.7% (44/46) of double-reactive samples. The positive results of Western Blot were obtained for 10 samples, which were not repeatedly reactive in ELISA test. The standardized prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies amounted to 0.86% (95% CI: 0.59-1.14%). Positive predictive value for a single reactive ELISA test accounted for 47.8% (95% CI: 37.4-58.2%). CONCLUSIONS: Given the low predictive value of the single-positive ELISA, performance of repeated ELISA tests, even for epidemiological purpose, would be recommended.