[Epidemiology of borreliosis in workers of the district forestry offices in Lower Silesia].

The work presents epidemiological analysis of Borrelia burgdorferi (B.b.) infections and borreliosis cases in workers of the District Forestry Offices in Lower Silesia in 2003-2005. The infections rate was proved to be high and increasing in time. In 2003-2005 the presence of B.b. antibodies was noted in 672 (35%) examined people. In particular District Forestry Offices the rate of positive results was between 19.42-50.50%. In several District Forestry Offices a marked increase of B.b. infections (above 20%) was noted within two tick seasons (2003-2005). In 2003-2005 796 workers of the District Forestry Offices were under medical care. In this group more than 96% remembered tick bites. 15.6% of them reported the presence of EM. The evidence of borreliosis in almost 67% of examined workers. In clinical picture the symptoms of the locomotor system (83.8%) and the peripheral and vegetative nervous systems (54.1%) were dominating. Almost 1/3, cases were asymptomatic of B.b. infections.