3-YEAR STUDY OF ANTIBODY TO BORRELIA-BURGDORFERI IN SOUTHERN SPAIN

The prevalence of anti-Borrelia burgdorferi antibodies was studied in Granada, Spain, between January 1991 and November 1993 in 354 patients with suspected Lyme disease (group 1); in 50 patients either with syp hilis (n = 32) or without syphilis but with a positive Rapid Plasma Re agin test (n = 18) (group 2); and in 150 healthy subjects (group 3). I n addition, intrathecal antibody production was evaluated by EIA in CS F samples obtained from 117 patients in group 1. Anti-Borrelia burgdor feri antibodies were detected by EIA in 58 patients (16.4 %) in group 1, 29 (8.2 %) of whom were positive by Western blot. Intrathecal antib ody production was detected in one patient. In group 2, 8 (16 %) patie nts had a positive EIA result, but none of these was confirmed by West ern blot. Western blot was negative for all subjects in group 3. The r esuits of this study indicate that anti-Borrelia burgdorferi antibodie s are not uncommon in our area, although Lyme disease is rare.