Surveillance of Lyme neuroborreliosis and Lyme borreliosis: estimates of disease burden in Southern Sweden 2009-2022.

BACKGROUND

Despite recommendations by EU, surveillance of Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB) is still not fully implemented in all member states, Sweden being one of them. Laboratory-based notifications on positive Borrelia antibody index (AI) in paired cerebrospinal fluid-serum samples alone have been suggested for surveillance of LNB.

OBJECTIVES

We aim to describe the epidemiology of Lyme borreliosis (LB) and LNB in Southern Sweden and assess if laboratory-based surveillance of LNB alone risks to underestimate the incidence in different populations.

METHODS

Using register data, we categorized cases from Region Skåne County during 2009-2022 into four groups: A) cases with positive Borrelia AI, and data on ICD-10 codes given to them; B) cases with ICD-10 code indicating LNB but without positive Borrelia AI; C) cases with Lyme arthritis; and D) other disease manifestations of LB, mainly erythema migrans.

RESULTS

Mean annual incidence for laboratory confirmed LNB (group A) was 3.2/100,000 inhabitants compared to 2.2/100,000 for cases with LNB diagnosis code but without positive Borrelia AI. Highest incidence in both these groups was noted among children 0-9 years old. Among cases in group B, 47% had a diagnosis code indicating facial nerve disorder, compared to19% in group A. For patients in group D, the mean annual incidence was 282/100,000 and increasing.

CONCLUSION

A considerable number of patients received a LNB diagnosis code without laboratory confirmation. Children and those with facial nerve disorder as LNB manifestation are at risk to be underreported if surveillance of LNB is based on positive Borrelia AI alone.