| Abstract [eng] |
Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne infectious disease in Europe. The pathogen is the gram-negative bacterium spirocheta Borrelia burgdorferi (B. burgdorferi). More than 20 genotypes of this bacterium are isolated, four of which are pathogenic to humans and result in the development of LL: B. burgdorferi sensu strictu (B. burgdorferi ss), B. afzelii, B. garinii, B. bavariensis. Each of these genotypes is associated with different clinical manifestations of Lyme disease. B. burgdorferi ss is associated with joint damage, B. afzelii is associated with neurological changes, B. garinii is associated with dermatological damage. The global prevalence of these B. burgdorferi genotypes varies, B. burgdorferii ss is found in North America, but can also be found in Europe, and B. afzelii and B. garinii are prevalent in Europe and Asia. Since the manifestations of the disease are diverse, this disease is faced by doctors of many specialties. Therefore, it is very important to know how the disease manifests itself in our country, to single out individuals of the risk group. This doctoral dissertation provides a detailed overview of Lyme disease factors in Lithuania, includes data on epidemiological disease factors and clinical manifestations of the disease. |
