Seroprevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato antibodies in English adult blood donors: A nationwide cross-sectional study, 2021–2022
Background: Estimates of Lyme disease incidence in England are based on reporting of cases with a laboratory-confirmed diagnosis only, underestimating total cases. In 2017 - 2018, two independent reviews commissioned by the UK Government highlighted the lack of official data on Lyme disease prevalen...
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Elsevier
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877959X25000032 |
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| author | Eilish Hart John Tulloch Daniel Bailey Tim Brooks Heli Harvala Peter Simmonds Roberto Vivancos Neil French Amanda Semper |
| author_facet | Eilish Hart John Tulloch Daniel Bailey Tim Brooks Heli Harvala Peter Simmonds Roberto Vivancos Neil French Amanda Semper |
| author_sort | Eilish Hart |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Estimates of Lyme disease incidence in England are based on reporting of cases with a laboratory-confirmed diagnosis only, underestimating total cases. In 2017 - 2018, two independent reviews commissioned by the UK Government highlighted the lack of official data on Lyme disease prevalence and incidence as a critical knowledge gap. Aim: To estimate the prevalence of IgG antibodies in the English adult population specific for Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Bbsl), the causative agent of Lyme disease. Methods: The prevalence of Bbsl-specific antibodies in the English population was estimated in a cross-sectional cohort, selected from an archive of residual NHS blood donor plasma samples (age range 17 - 84, collected between 2021 - 2022). 10,000 samples were randomly selected proportionate to the population size of each of the nine English administrative regions. 9,994 samples were tested using a standard two-tiered testing strategy, with an IgG/IgM ELISA followed by an IgG immunoblot (array) test for any sera with positive or indeterminate reactivity in the ELISA. Results: Out of the 9,994 samples tested, 482 were seroreactive by screening ELISA. After two-tier testing, 49 were confirmed positive. Regional and demographic differences in seroprevalence were observed after two-tier testing, but due to the low overall seroprevalence, were not significant upon multivariable analysis. Conclusion: The seroprevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato-specific IgG in the English adult population (2021 - 2022), determined using two-tier testing was estimated at 0.49 % (95 % CI 0.36 – 0.65). This is lower than neighbouring UK nation Scotland and other northern European countries. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b52efd9b94aa4ca0b869345e07473d34 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1877-9603 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases |
| spelling | doaj-art-b52efd9b94aa4ca0b869345e07473d342025-02-05T04:31:33ZengElsevierTicks and Tick-Borne Diseases1877-96032025-01-01161102439Seroprevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato antibodies in English adult blood donors: A nationwide cross-sectional study, 2021–2022Eilish Hart0John Tulloch1Daniel Bailey2Tim Brooks3Heli Harvala4Peter Simmonds5Roberto Vivancos6Neil French7Amanda Semper8National Institute for Health and Social Care Research Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, UK; Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK; Diagnostics & Pathogen Characterisation, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, UK; Corresponding author.National Institute for Health and Social Care Research Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, UK; Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UKDiagnostics & Pathogen Characterisation, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, UK; Diagnostic Evaluations & Innovations Group, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, UK; Rare and Imported Pathogens Laboratory, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, UKNational Institute for Health and Social Care Research Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, UK; Rare and Imported Pathogens Laboratory, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, UKMicrobiology Services, NHS Blood and Transplant, Colindale, UK; Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UKNational Institute for Health and Social Care Research Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, UK; Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UKNational Institute for Health and Social Care Research Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, UK; Health Protection Operations, UK Health Security Agency, Liverpool, UK; National Institute for Health and Social Care Research Health Protection Research Unit in Gastrointestinal Infections, UK; Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UKNational Institute for Health and Social Care Research Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, UK; Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UKNational Institute for Health and Social Care Research Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, UK; Rare and Imported Pathogens Laboratory, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, UKBackground: Estimates of Lyme disease incidence in England are based on reporting of cases with a laboratory-confirmed diagnosis only, underestimating total cases. In 2017 - 2018, two independent reviews commissioned by the UK Government highlighted the lack of official data on Lyme disease prevalence and incidence as a critical knowledge gap. Aim: To estimate the prevalence of IgG antibodies in the English adult population specific for Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Bbsl), the causative agent of Lyme disease. Methods: The prevalence of Bbsl-specific antibodies in the English population was estimated in a cross-sectional cohort, selected from an archive of residual NHS blood donor plasma samples (age range 17 - 84, collected between 2021 - 2022). 10,000 samples were randomly selected proportionate to the population size of each of the nine English administrative regions. 9,994 samples were tested using a standard two-tiered testing strategy, with an IgG/IgM ELISA followed by an IgG immunoblot (array) test for any sera with positive or indeterminate reactivity in the ELISA. Results: Out of the 9,994 samples tested, 482 were seroreactive by screening ELISA. After two-tier testing, 49 were confirmed positive. Regional and demographic differences in seroprevalence were observed after two-tier testing, but due to the low overall seroprevalence, were not significant upon multivariable analysis. Conclusion: The seroprevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato-specific IgG in the English adult population (2021 - 2022), determined using two-tier testing was estimated at 0.49 % (95 % CI 0.36 – 0.65). This is lower than neighbouring UK nation Scotland and other northern European countries.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877959X25000032Lyme borreliosisSerosurveillanceEpidemiologyImmunoblotMultivariable analysisSerology |
| spellingShingle | Eilish Hart John Tulloch Daniel Bailey Tim Brooks Heli Harvala Peter Simmonds Roberto Vivancos Neil French Amanda Semper Seroprevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato antibodies in English adult blood donors: A nationwide cross-sectional study, 2021–2022 Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases Lyme borreliosis Serosurveillance Epidemiology Immunoblot Multivariable analysis Serology |
| title | Seroprevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato antibodies in English adult blood donors: A nationwide cross-sectional study, 2021–2022 |
| title_full | Seroprevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato antibodies in English adult blood donors: A nationwide cross-sectional study, 2021–2022 |
| title_fullStr | Seroprevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato antibodies in English adult blood donors: A nationwide cross-sectional study, 2021–2022 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Seroprevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato antibodies in English adult blood donors: A nationwide cross-sectional study, 2021–2022 |
| title_short | Seroprevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato antibodies in English adult blood donors: A nationwide cross-sectional study, 2021–2022 |
| title_sort | seroprevalence of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato antibodies in english adult blood donors a nationwide cross sectional study 2021 2022 |
| topic | Lyme borreliosis Serosurveillance Epidemiology Immunoblot Multivariable analysis Serology |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877959X25000032 |
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