The study used records of Lyme disease cases in children hospitalized over a 10-year period (2012-2021) at the Poznań hospital. Karol Jonscher in the infectious diseases department – we read in a statement sent to PAP on Tuesday. The results of the analyzes were published on the Research Gate website. The authors of the study point out that a continuous increase in disease incidence was observed in the analyzed decade. During this time, almost 200 patients came to the hospital. Most of them came from Poznań and the Poznań poviat, but patients also came from poviats (e.g. Turku or Kępno) where no cases of Lyme disease had been previously registered.
Ticks do not infect everyone in the same way. Some people are more vulnerable
– We wondered what could be the cause of these differences and that is why we started cooperation with foresters experienced in studying tick ecology – said Dr. Agnieszka Myszkowska-Torz, the main author of the study and a pediatrician from the Medical University of Poznań, quoted in the press release.
The researchers analyzed the number of cases (per 100,000 children and per 100 square kilometers) in individual counties depending on the following factors: the density of deer animals (deer, roe deer, fallow deer, moose), the share of deciduous forests and the urbanization index (i.e. the percentage of urban residents). in the total number of inhabitants of the district). These are unique data on a European scale.
– The number of children with Lyme disease was positively correlated with all examined factors. This means that the more deciduous forests there are in a given district, the more cases of Lyme disease. The more large animals there are, the more often children suffer from Lyme disease. And finally, the more people live in a city in a given district, the more children get sick – explained Dr. Eng. Anna Wierzbicka from UPP. She added that the analysis confirms the thesis that “the more the forest is rich in species of trees and undergrowth plants”, the better the living conditions and the more food (animal blood) ticks have. Therefore, in such areas, ticks are more numerous, which in turn increases the risk of Lyme disease infection.
Scientists also found that boys are more susceptible to the disease. “This may be due to cultural behavior and their greater outdoor activity,” the document reads.
The research results suggest – according to the authors – that the environment in which children live may significantly influence the risk of disease. Prevention should therefore be a priority for parents, both those from rural areas where contact with wild fauna is more frequent, and those living in cities.
You need to minimize the risk of contact with ticks. Even in the city
Experts emphasize that in areas with a large population of wild animals, special protection measures should be used to minimize the risk of contact with ticks. The problem should not be underestimated in cities either. It is primarily about educating parents to consciously protect their children against tick bites.
Dr. Myszkowska-Torz estimates that the key role in this case is to regularly observe children’s skin to check whether they have developed erythema migrans of Lyme disease (a red spot, usually lighter in the center, growing larger over time – PAP), which is a characteristic symptom. It is equally important to use repellents (PAP agents), which may be chemical compounds, natural substances, devices that emit light or sound signals. Doctors also recommend wearing long clothes outdoors.
In 2023, over 25,000 cases were confirmed in Poland. cases of Lyme disease and 659 cases of tick-borne encephalitis – according to the compilation of the National Institute of Public Health PZH-PIB dedicated to infectious diseases
Pediatricians from the Poznań University of Medical Sciences (UMP) and scientists from the Poznań University of Life Sciences (UPP) explained the reasons for the different number of Lyme disease cases in children in the counties of the Greater Poland Voivodeship. Their aim was also to identify the relationship between the occurrence of this tick-borne disease in children and various environmental factors. All this to develop effective prevention of Lyme disease, regardless of where you live.
(PAP) abu/ zan/
Source: Gazeta
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