Seroprevalance of Hantavirus and Borrelia burgdorferi among forest villagers in duzce province and investigation of the awareness of the people in the region

In this study, the seroprevalence of Hantavirus and B. burgdorferi in forest villages in Düzce province were investigated. The people of living in the risk zone which were investigated their awareness of the diseases caused by this virus and bacterium. The sociodemographic characteristics, occupations, factors that could play a role in transmission of Hantavirus and B. burgdorferi were investigated by the questionnaire and the relationship between these factors and Hantavirus and B. burgdorferi seroprevalance were investigated. Blood samples were collected between the dates of 28.06.2016 and 10.07.2016 from the Düzce province forest villages who 18-70 year old aged. In the study, Enzyme Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay (ELISA) method was used for the detection of Hantavirus and B. burgdorferi IgM and IgG type antibodies. Hantavirus IgG and B. burgdorferi IgM and IgG positivity were confirmed by Western blot (WB) method. 193 serum samples collected from forest villages in Düzce province were firstly studied by ELISA method, 11 samples (5.7%) positive for Hantavirus IgM, 13 samples (6.7%) positive for Hantavirus IgG, 27 samples (13.9%) positive for B. burgdorferi IgM and 21 samples (10.9%) positive for B. burgdorferi IgG. Of the 27 B. burgdorferi IgM positive samples by ELISA from the study group, three (11.1%) reacted to B. burgdorferi antigens by WB. Of the 21 B. burgdorferi IgG positive samples by ELISA from the study group,12 (57%) reacted to B. burgdorferi antigens by WB and of the 13 Hantavirus IgG positive samples by ELISA from the study group, six (46.1%) reacted to Hantavirus antigens by WB. In our study, statistically significant relationships were found between a seropositive reaction to B. burgdorferi IgG with living in adobe house and being in the age group of 61-70 years. The people of the region were not conscious about the diseases transmitted by ticks and rodents and we thought that the public should be educated about the this subject. Key words: Borrelia burgdorferi, Duzce, forest villages, Hantavirus, seroprevalence.