Tick-borne fever (TBRF) is a bacterial disease caused by species which is transmitted to by infected ticks.
The occurs . In West Africa, geographical distribution of Borrelia is classically limited to the Sahel and Saharan regions; there are no documented cases of the disease in Nigeria.
This study is a response to a report of suspected TBRF in Borno state. The aim is to determine demographic features and risk factors associated with suspected cases of TBRF in northern Borno State Nigeria.
A cross-sectional study was carried out in four community health centres and two referral hospitals using an interviewer administered questionnaires to obtain demographic information.
One hundred samples of tick were collected from resting places in livestock markets, hemolymph smear were stained with Giemsa stain to investigate for Borrelia.
Questionnaires were analyzed using Epi info version 3.5.1, Winepiscope soft ware and excel spread sheet. The Ages of respondents ranged from 3- 70 years, both males and females had symptoms of TBRF.
Introduction
Background of Study
Tick-borne relapsing fever (TBRF) is a bacterial disease caused by Borrelia species transmitted to humans by infected ticks.
The disease occurs worldwide and has been frequently reported in Africa, Western Asia, and South Eastern Europe.
The term relapsing fever was first coined to describe the clinical disease in Edinburgh between 1843 and 18486. The role of Borrelia in causing relapsing fever was first described by Otto Obermeier, Munch and Motschuttoffsky in 1873, 1874 and 1876 respectively.
The genus was later named Borrelia after Amedee Borre who established that Borrelia cause relapsing fever and is transmitted by Ornithodoros ticks.
Tick-borne relapsing fever has an incubation period of 3 to 18 days depending on the infective dose.
The symptoms of the diseases are repeating bouts of fever, chills, headache, muscle pain, joint aches and nausea that last 2-7 days, punctuated by period of apparent wellness that last for about a week.
The initial symptoms are the most severe with sudden onset of high fever and severe headache. A spotted and or itchy rash may sometimes occur during this first episode of illness.
The number of episodes or “relapses” ranges from two to ten and each subsequent episode is less severe than the previous one.
Serious complications or death can occur if the illness is not treated, especially in the very young, elderly, and pregnant or debilitated11.
References
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Alan G. Barbour and Stanley F. Hayes. Biology of Borrelia Species. Microbiological Reviews. 1986; 381-400. American Society for
Trape J.F, Duplantier J.M, and Bouganali H. Tick-borne borreliosis in West Africa. Lancet. 1991; 337: 473–475.
Trape J.F, Godeluck B and Diatta G The spread of tick-borne borreliosis in West Africa and its relationship to sub-Saharan drought. Am J. Trop Med 1996 54: 289–293
Anda P; Sanchez-Yebra W; del Mar Vitutia M; Perez Pastrana E; Rodriguez I and Miller N, A new Borrelia species isolated from patients with relapsing fever in Lancet. 1996; 348:162–5
S. Cutler. Relapsing fever – a forgotten disease revealed. Journal of Applied Microbiology. 2009; 1115-1122.
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