Tick-borne diseases in Belgium : the incidence and economic burden of Lyme borreliosis and the occurrence of other tick-borne infections

Lyme borreliosis (LB) is the most prevalent tick-borne disease in Europe. The most common clinical manifestation is an erythema migrans, a red expanding rash at the site of the tick bite. If left untreated, the infection can disseminate, causing more severe disease. In addition, patients may report persisting non-specific symptoms after treatment, a syndrome often referred to as post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS). Although, in Belgium, different surveillance systems have been in place to follow-up LB trends since many years, knowledge gaps have remained. This thesis aims to contribut... Mehr ...