PRELIMINARY DATA ON SEROLOGICAL INVESTIGATION TO Q FEVER, LYME DISEASE AND ECHINOCOCCUS IN ALBANIA

Abstract

The aim of this study is to present the results on serological surveys of Lyme borreliosis, Q fever and echinococcus infection in northern Albania. In total we analyzed 200 sera blood samples collected from cattle, sheep and goats, and X fecal samples from red foxes. We used appropriate ELISA tests, commercially available to evaluate the presence of anti-Borrelia IgG, specific antibody against Coxiella burnetii, and coproantigen for echinococcus. In total 11.66% of sheep, 14.5% of goats and 6% of cattle had antibody against Borrelia sp; 13.3% of sheep, 17.7% of goats and 4% of cattle had specific IgG against Coxiella burnetii, and 27% of fecal red fox samples were positive to echinococcus. As a conclusion, both two above bacterial zoonotic diseases, and echinococcosis as an important parasitic zoonosis are present in Albania. They are a serious threat to public health, and may be largely underestimated in Albania. This paper includes the full results relating to Q fever and some recent, unpublished data from our group concerning with Borreliozis and echinococcus infections.