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Volume 21, Number 1—January 2015
Dispatch

Antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato among Adults, Germany, 2008–2011

Hendrik WilkingComments to Author , Volker Fingerle, Christiane Klier, Michael Thamm, and Klaus Stark
Author affiliations: Robert Koch-Institut, Berlin, Germany (H. Wilking, M. Thamm,. K. Stark); German National Reference Centre for Borrelia, Oberschleißheim, Germany (V. Fingerle, C. Klier)

Main Article

Table

Stratified seroprevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato IgG detected by combined ELISA and line blot testing in adults and results of weighted logistic regression analysis of potential risk factors for seropositivity, Germany, 2008–2011*

Characteristic† No. positive/no. total† Prevalence (95% CI) Univariable analysis
Multivariable analysis
OR (95% CI) p value OR (95% CI) p value
Sex
F 240/3,614 5.8 (4.9–6.7) Ref Ref Ref Ref
M
501/3,331
13.0 (11.4–14.8)
2.44 (2.01–2.96)
<0.001

2.61 (2.15–3.16)
<0.001
Age group, y
18–29 62/1,043 6.0 (4.5–8.0) Ref Ref Ref Ref
30–39 50/829 6.3 (4.4–9.0) 1.05 (0.64–1.69) 0.854 1.07 (0.67–1.72) 0.779
40–49 83/1,263 6.4 (5.0–8.2) 1.07 (0.72–1.58) 0.737 1.04 (0.69–1.55) 0.856
50–59 126/1,373 8.5 (6.8–10.7) 1.46 (1.01–2.10) 0.043 1.39 (0.97–1.99) 0.069
60–69 186/1,361 13.2 (10.9–15.9) 2.37 (1.65–3.40) <0.001 2.37 (1.65–3.45) <0.001
70–79
234/1,076
20.0 (16.9–23.6)
3.91 (2.77–5.51)
<0.001

4.02 (2.84–5.70)
<0.001
Residence location
West‡ 484/4.748 9.1 (8.0–10.4) Ref Ref
East§ 257/2,197 10.4 (8.5–12.6) 1.15 (0.89–1.49) 0.273
North¶ 181/1,767 9.0 (7.2–11.0) 1.11 (0.82–1.51) 0.479 1.16 (0.86–1.57) 0.318
Middle# 304/3,087 8.1 (6.7–9.8) Ref Ref Ref Ref
South**
256/2,091
11.2 (9.4–13.3)
1.43 (1.08–1.88)
0.011

1.34 (1.03–1.75)
0.032
Population of residence municipality
<5,000 189/1,258 15.4 (12.8–18.4) 2.50 (1.85–3.30) <0.001 2.13 (1.54–2.97) <0.001
5,000 to <20,000 185/1,685 10.0 (8.0–12.5) 1.51 (1.11–2.07) 0.010 1.33 (0.96–1.84) 0.082
20,000 to <100,000 193/2,030 8.4 (6.9–10.2) 1.24 (0.92–1.66) 0.154 1.21 (0.88–1.67) 0.231
>100,000
174/1,972
6.9 (5.6–8.4)
Ref
Ref

Ref
Ref
Foreign national††
No 721/6,528 10.0 (8.9–11.2) Ref Ref Ref Ref
Yes
18/396
4.3 (2.5–7.5)
0.41 (0.22–0.75)
0.004

0.54 (0.30–0.90)
0.041
Pet in household
None 502/4,596 9.5 (8.4–10.7) Ref Ref
Any 217/2,182 9.3 (7.8–11.0) 0.98 (0.80–1.20) 0.834
Dog
No 639/5,909 9.4 (8.4–10.6) Ref Ref
Yes 80/858 9.3 (7.0–12.2) 0.98 (0.71–1.35) 0.909
Cat
No 622/5,886 9.2 (8.2–10.3) Ref Ref
Yes 119/1,077 10.3 (8.1–13.0) 1.13 (0.87–1.47) 0.356
Other animals
No 655/ 6,001 9.7 (8.8–10.6) Ref Ref
Yes
64/766
7.7 (5.8–10.1)
0.78 (0.56–1.07)
0.127



Total 741/6,945 9.4 (8.4–10.0)

*OR, odds ratio; Ref, reference; –, not included in the final model.
†Unweighted.
‡Western states: Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Bremen, Hamburg, Hesse, Lower Saxony, Northrhine-Westfalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Schleswig-Holstein.
§Eastern states: Berlin, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg–West Pomerania, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia.
¶Northern states: Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, Bremen, Berlin, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-West Pomerania.
#Middle states: Nordrhine-Westfalia, Hesse, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia.
**Southern states: Rhineland-Palatinate, Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Saarland.
††Defined as persons holding a foreign citizenship.

Main Article

Page created: December 19, 2014
Page updated: December 19, 2014
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