Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 Aug;28(34):2200855.
doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2023.28.34.2200855.

Seroprevalence, seroconversion and seroreversion of Borrelia burgdorferi- specific IgG antibodies in two population-based studies in children and adolescents, Germany, 2003 to 2006 and 2014 to 2017

Stefanie Böhm  1   2   3 , Tom Woudenberg  1   3   4 , Klaus Stark  5 , Merle M Böhmer  1   6 , Katharina Katz  1 , Ronny Kuhnert  7 , Martin Schlaud  7 , Hendrik Wilking  5   8 , Volker Fingerle  1   9   8
Affiliations

Seroprevalence, seroconversion and seroreversion of Borrelia burgdorferi- specific IgG antibodies in two population-based studies in children and adolescents, Germany, 2003 to 2006 and 2014 to 2017

Stefanie Böhm et al. Euro Surveill. 2023 Aug.

Abstract

BackgroundLyme borreliosis (LB), caused by Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb), is the most common tick-borne infection in Germany. Antibodies against Bb are prevalent in the general population but information on temporal changes of prevalence and estimates of seroconversion (seroincidence) and seroreversion are lacking, especially for children and adolescents.AimWe aimed at assessing antibodies against Bb and factors associated with seropositivity in children and adolescents in Germany.MethodsWe estimated seroprevalence via two consecutive cross-sectional surveys (2003-2006 and 2014-2017). Based on a longitudinal survey component, we estimated annual seroconversion/seroreversion rates.ResultsSeroprevalence was 4.4% (95% confidence interval (CI): 3.9-4.9%) from 2003 to 2006 and 4.1% (95% CI: 3.2-5.1%) from 2014 to 2017. Seroprevalence increased with age, was higher in male children, the south-eastern regions of Germany and among those with a high socioeconomic status. The annual seroconversion rate was 0.3% and the annual seroreversion rate 3.9%. Males were more likely to seroconvert compared with females. Low antibody levels were the main predictor of seroreversion.ConclusionWe did not detect a change in seroprevalence in children and adolescents in Germany over a period of 11 years. Potential long-term changes, for example due to climatic changes, need to be assessed in consecutive serosurveys. Seroconversion was more likely among children and adolescents than among adults, representing a target group for preventive measures. Seroreversion rates are over twice as high in children and adolescents compared with previous studies among adults. Thus, seroprevalence estimates and seroconversion rates in children are likely underestimated.

Keywords: Borrelia burgdorferi; Germany; Lyme borreliosis; Lyme disease; antibodies; seroprevalence; ticks.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: VF: Continuing education (honoraria, travel expenses) Fenner laboratory Hamburg, REMMDI Regensburg, BML – LABORATORY Singen. Consultant activities (no honoraria) Pfizer, Global Lyme Alliance. Borrelia PCR and serology ring trials (no honoraria) INSTAND, QCMD. None of these organisations are involved in any aspect of the current manuscript.

Figures

FIGURE
FIGURE
Weighted prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi-specific IgG antibodies in the cross-sectional surveys KiGGS Baseline (n = 11,626) and KiGGS Wave 2 (n = 2,891) of children and adolescents, Germany, 2003–2006 and 2014–2017
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Rizzoli A, Hauffe H, Carpi G, Vourc H G, Neteler M, Rosa R. Lyme borreliosis in Europe. Euro Surveill. 2011;16(27):19906. 10.2807/ese.16.27.19906-en - DOI - PubMed
    1. Stanek G, Strle F. Lyme borreliosis-from tick bite to diagnosis and treatment. FEMS Microbiol Rev. 2018;42(3):233-58. 10.1093/femsre/fux047 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Stanek G, Wormser GP, Gray J, Strle F. Lyme borreliosis. Lancet. 2012;379(9814):461-73. 10.1016/S0140-6736(11)60103-7 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Radolf JD, Strle K, Lemieux JE, Strle F. Lyme disease in humans. Curr Issues Mol Biol. 2021;42:333-84. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Enkelmann J, Böhmer M, Fingerle V, Siffczyk C, Werber D, Littmann M, et al. Incidence of notified Lyme borreliosis in Germany, 2013-2017. Sci Rep. 2018;8(1):14976. 10.1038/s41598-018-33136-0 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources