Lyme Borreliosis, a public health concern in India: Findings of Borrelia burgdorferi serosurvey from two states

Background

Lyme borreliosis is a public health concern in India. The prevalence of the disease is still undetermined with major entomological and epidemiological gaps. The present study was conducted to determine the seropositivity of Borrelia burgdorferi in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, India.

Methods

A cross-sectional serosurvey was conducted in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. Data collection tools were developed and standardized for the collection of clinico-socio-demographic data. Sample size for each site was calculated using the formula for the estimation of a single proportion. Qualitative detection of IgG antibodies in serum samples was done using NovaLisa™ Lyme Borrelia IgG ELISA kit.

Results

A total of 793 participants were enrolled, 484 (61%) from Arunachal Pradesh and 309 (39%) from Sikkim. Out of 793 participants, 21 (2.7%), 22 (2.8%), 6 (0.8%), 29 (3.7%), 44 (5.5%), and 16 (2.1%) gave history of tick bite, rash, erythema migrans, migratory muscle pain, migratory joint pain, and numbness, respectively, in the past one year. The adjusted seroprevalence (for sensitivity and specificity of kit) for the study is 3.7 (2.4-5.2). No signs or symptoms were found to be associated with IgG ELISA positivity. The state-wise distribution of seropositivity for Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim was 4.1 (95% CI: 2.5-6.3) and 2.3 (95% CI: 0.9-4.6), respectively.

Conclusion

This study establishes the state of Sikkim as a new endemic area in India of Lyme disease besides its already reported endemicity in Arunachal Pradesh. No association was conclusively established between symptoms of Lyme and IgG seropositivity emphasizing the need for detailed history taking and clinical suspicion in endemic areas.

Alternating Facial Palsy- Decoding the Enigma

Facial palsy is a neurological emergency with a wide spectrum of aetiologies. The term 'alternating facial palsy', a very rare presentation, refers to facial paralysis, the onset of which occurs at different points in time on both sides of the face. It can occur in systemic vasculitis, trauma, tumours and infectious diseases. We report the case of a middle-aged female who presented with complaints of alternating facial palsy and the diligent journey that we took to finally reach a diagnosis of Lyme neuroborreliosis.

Bilateral Facial Nerve Palsy in a Young Woman From West Bengal: Do Not Forget Lyme Neuroborreliosis

Borrelia burgdorferi can affect the nervous system in various ways, which can generate significant confusion and dilemma regarding diagnosis. From India, a country until recently known to be a nonendemic zone for Lyme disease, several cases and one study of Lyme neuroborreliosis have been published. The aim of this study was to describe a young woman with bilateral facial nerve palsy as the presenting manifestation of Lyme neuroborreliosis. We herein report a case of a lactating woman with acute onset progressive ascending flaccid tetraparesis that was preceded by a misdiagnosed bilateral facial nerve palsy. She was finally diagnosed to be a case of acute Lyme neuroborreliosis, which responded favorably to intravenous and orally administered antibiotics. The possibility of Lyme neuroborreliosis should be considered more often from now on because in the last year four cases with the kindred clinical syndrome have been described from a so-called "nonendemic zone."

Clinical and laboratory evidence of Lyme disease in North India, 2016-2019

BACKGROUND

Lyme disease is endemic to parts of the Americas, Europe and Asia. However, only a handful of sporadic cases have been reported from India. In this study, we systematically evaluated the clinical and epidemiological features of Lyme disease in North India.

METHOD

All samples were tested by using the standard two-tiered testing algorithm (STTA). Paired serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were used for demonstrating Borrelia burgdorferi specific intrathecal IgG antibody synthesis (AI). In addition, a commercial tick-borne bacterial flow chip (TBFC) system and a real-time PCR were also used to detect Borrelia species and Anaplasma phagocytophilum in patients who were positive by STTA.

RESULTS

The diagnosis of Lyme disease was confirmed in 18 (7.14%) of the 252 clinically suspected cases by STTA. Neurological involvement was reported in 14 (77.78%) patients, whereas joint and heart involvement was reported in five (27.78%) and three (16.67%) patients, respectively. Lymphocytic pleocytosis (median 37.5 cells/mm³; range 12-175 cells/mm³) in the CSF was seen in 11 of 14 Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB) patients. Intrathecal production of Borrelia specific IgG antibodies was demonstrated in 9 (64.28%, n = 14) patients, a highly specific finding for neuroborreliosis. Two patients (11.11%) were also found to be co-infected with human granulocytic anaplasmosis.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study show clinical and laboratory evidence of endemic Lyme disease in North India and thus, highlight the importance for travel medicine practitioners and physicians to evaluate for Lyme disease in patients with compatible symptoms and a history of travel to tick risk areas.

Seroprevalence of Lymes disease in the Nagarahole and Bandipur forest areas of South India

Purpose:

The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of Lymes disease in a population at risk in south India.

Methods:

Prospective ongoing study and included screening of forest workers and staff of Nagarahole and Bandipur forest ranges in South India for Lymes disease. Screening included a detailed questionnaire for Lymes disease, complete ocular and systemic examination by an ophthalmologist and infectious disease specialist and blood collection. ELISA for IgM and IgG antibodies for Borrelia burgdorferi were performed on the collected sera samples. Western blot confirmation was done on the seropositive samples. Ticks were also collected from these forest areas for future studies to detect if they harbor B. burgdorferi.

Results:

Seroprevalence of 19.9% was noted by ELISA. Western blot confirmation was seen in 15.6% of the seropositive samples. There was significant correlation between seropositivity and exposure to tick bites (P = 0.023).

Conclusion:

There is a high seroprevalence of infection with B. burgdorferi in the forest areas of Nagarahole and Bandipur ranges in south India.