Changes in the Seroprevalence of Tick-Borne <i>Rickettsia</i> and <i>Ehrlichia</i> Among Soldiers—Fort Liberty, North Carolina, 1991

Changes in the Seroprevalence of Tick-Borne Rickettsia and Ehrlichia Among Soldiers—Fort Liberty, North Carolina, 1991–2019

Published:2024-02-08 Issue:2 Volume:230 Page:319-322
ISSN:0022-1899
Container-title:The Journal of Infectious Diseases
language:en
Short-container-title:

Author:

Rockwell Emmanuel M¹,Abernathy Haley A²,Evans Lanya M³,Bhowmik Ryan³,Giandomenico Dana A³,Salzer Johanna S⁴,Maldonado Carlos J⁵,Choi Y Sammy⁵,Boyce Ross M²³⁶^ORCID

Affiliation:

1. Department of Biostatistics

2. Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health

3. Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

4. Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , Atlanta, Georgia

5. Department of Research/Clinical Investigation, Womack Army Medical Center , Fort Liberty

6. Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Abstract

Abstract We obtained samples from the Department of Defense Serum Repository from soldiers who were stationed at Fort Liberty, North Carolina, between 1991 and 2019 to assess temporal trends in tick-borne rickettsiosis and ehrlichiosis. Serological evidence of infection was common, with nearly 1 in 5 (18.9%) demonstrating antibodies. We observed significant decreases in Rickettsia seroprevalence (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.42 [95% CI, .27–.65], P = .0001) while over the same period Ehrlichia seroprevalence, albeit less common, nearly doubled (aOR, 3.61 [95% CI, 1.10–13.99], P = .048). The increase in Ehrlichia seroprevalence likely reflects increased transmission resulting from the expanding geographic range of the lone star tick.

Funder

Creativity Hub

Publisher

Oxford University Press (OUP)

Link

https://academic.oup.com/jid/advance-article-pdf/doi/10.1093/infdis/jiae028/56576618/jiae028.pdf

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