BACKGROUND: We assessed the isolation rate of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato from blood in European patients with typical erythema migrans and evaluated the course and outcome of their illness. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Adult patients diagnosed with erythema migrans and from whom borreliae cultured from blood were included in this study. RESULTS: Borreliae were isolated from the blood of 35/2,828 (1.2%) patients, on average 7 days (range 1-47 days) after the appearance of erythema migrans. Only seven (20%) patients reported constitutional symptoms. 24/35 isolates were typed of which 20 were Borrelia afzelii and four were Borrelia garinii. 31 (88.6%) patients were treated with oral antibiotics while four (11.4%) received ceftriaxone iv. The course and outcome of the illness were favorable in all patients. CONCLUSION: In European patients with erythema migrans the yield of blood culturing was low, spirochetemia was often clinically silent and the course and outcome of the illness were favorable; the predominantly isolated strain was B. afzelii.
BACKGROUND: We assessed the isolation rate of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato from blood in European patients with typical erythema migrans and evaluated the course and outcome of their illness. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Adult patients diagnosed with erythema migrans and from whom borreliae cultured from blood were included in this study. RESULTS: Borreliae were isolated from the blood of 35/2,828 (1.2%) patients, on average 7 days (range 1-47 days) after the appearance of erythema migrans. Only seven (20%) patients reported constitutional symptoms. 24/35 isolates were typed of which 20 were Borrelia afzelii and four were Borrelia garinii. 31 (88.6%) patients were treated with oral antibiotics while four (11.4%) received ceftriaxone iv. The course and outcome of the illness were favorable in all patients. CONCLUSION: In European patients with erythema migrans the yield of blood culturing was low, spirochetemia was often clinically silent and the course and outcome of the illness were favorable; the predominantly isolated strain was B. afzelii.
Authors: Klemen Strle; Elise E Drouin; Shiqian Shen; Joseph El Khoury; Gail McHugh; Eva Ruzic-Sabljic; Franc Strle; Allen C Steere Journal: J Infect Dis Date: 2009-12-15 Impact factor: 5.226
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Authors: Tom G Schwan; James M Battisti; Stephen F Porcella; Sandra J Raffel; Merry E Schrumpf; Elizabeth R Fischer; James A Carroll; Philip E Stewart; Patricia Rosa; Greg A Somerville Journal: J Bacteriol Date: 2003-02 Impact factor: 3.490
Authors: Katarina Ogrinc; Andrej Kastrin; Stanka Lotrič-Furlan; Petra Bogovič; Tereza Rojko; Vera Maraspin; Eva Ružić-Sabljić; Klemen Strle; Franc Strle Journal: Clin Infect Dis Date: 2022-08-24 Impact factor: 20.999