INTEREST OF A RURAL OBSERVATORY IN SURVEY OF LYME BORRELIOSIS AS EMERGENT INFECTIOUS-DISEASE

Creation of a rural observatory and a network of healthcare workers al lowed us to organise a survey of Lyme borreliosis, an emergent infecti ous disease and a public health problem in our region. After working w ith specialised laboratories, a quite precisely description of clinica l, epidemiological, and bacteriological aspects of Lyme borreliosis in its natural environment was realised. Interests of such an organisati on are evident : epidemiologic study of cases, sero-epidemiologic stud y involving general population or population at risk, evaluation of ra te of ticks infestation, identification of Borrelia strains. This obse rvatory has to be included itself in a network directed by a central o rganism, in order to facilitate information of healthcare workers and the population.