Shkilna M. Clinically epidemiological and immunological aspects of Lyme borreliosis, improvement of diagnosis and therapy

New solutions for improvement of diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease (LD) by clarifying the awareness of forestry workers in a number of regions of Ukraine, students of medical, pedagogical and polytechnic universities about this infection; comprehensive study of I. ricinus mites to detect their infection with pathogens of Lyme disease and other tick infections; defining etiological structure, epidemiological and clinical features of Lyme disease; revealing antibodies to various species of Borrelia, including B. spielmanii and B. miyamotoi, and definition of their involvement in clinical signs of erythematous and non-erythematous forms of infection; use of remote thermography for diagnosis of subarachnoid cutaneous form of Lyme disease; development of epidemiological interactive map of the spread of tick-borne infections, as well as mixed ones, in different regions of Ukraine; use of the developed adequate therapy scheme. I. ricinus mites, taken from humans, were examined for infection with pathogens of Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections. The method of remote thermography was used to diagnose sub erythematous skin form of Lyme disease. A geographic information system was used to develop an epidemiological interactive map of the spread of Lyme disease and mixed tick-borne infections in different regions of Ukraine. The treatment of patients with erythematous form of Lyme disease by the use of Stevia rebaudiana in the complex therapy was improved. The awareness of forestry workers and students of medical and non-medical universities about Lyme disease has been assessed. The frequency of Borrelia infection of forestry workers in a number of regions of Ukraine has been studied. The etiological structure (B. afzelii, B. burgdorferi s. s. and B. garinii) of the erythematous form of the disease in foresters of a number of regions of Ukraine has been clarified. The significance of B. spielmanii and B. miamotoi in clinical manifestations of erythematous and non-erythematous forms of Lyme disease in hospital patients and non-erythematous form of the disease in foresters of a number of regions of Ukraine has been established. Clinical and epidemiological features of non-erythematous form of Lyme disease in foresters of a number of regions of Ukraine have been clarified. The frequency of detection of Lyme disease pathogens and other tick-borne infections in pregnant women with a burdensome obstetric history has been defined.