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Tick-borne Encephalitis and Positive Borrelial Antibodies

Not Applicable
Conditions
Tick-borne Encephalitis
Interventions
Drug: Symptomatic therapy
Other: Questionnaire
Registration Number
NCT02463942
Lead Sponsor
University Medical Centre Ljubljana
Brief Summary

In Slovenia, tick-borne encephalitis and Lyme borreliosis are both endemic diseases with high incidence rates and they are both transmitted by a bite of infected Ixodes ricinus tick. In clinical practice, tick-borne encephalitis is confirmed by demonstration of tick-borne encephalitis antibodies in serum of a patient with compatible clinical presentation and cerebrospinal pleocytosis. Patients with Lyme meningitis or meningoradiculitis also have cerebrospinal pleocytosis, however the presence of borrelial antibodies in serum does not attest Lyme neuroborreliosis.

Patients with tick-borne encephalitis and positive borrelial antibodies in serum, but not fulfilling criteria for Lyme neuroborreliosis, are often being treated with antibiotics in several European countries due to the possibility of double infection. The investigators hypothesise that such patients do not benefit from antibiotics. Such an approach may appear safe regarding the possibility of borrelial infection, however it can also be associated with detrimental consequences such as antibiotic related adverse reactions, negative epidemiological impact on bacterial resistance, and intravenous catheter related complications.

Detailed Description

Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
UNKNOWN
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
100
Inclusion Criteria
  • 18 years or older
  • clinical picture compatible with tick-borne encephalitis,
  • clear cerebrospinal fluid,
  • cerebrospinal pleocytosis (leucocytes in cerebrospinal fluid >5 x 106/)L,
  • positive serum immunoglobulin M (IgM) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies against tick-borne encephalitis virus,
  • positive serum IgG antibodies against Lyme borreliae.
Exclusion Criteria
  • isolation of B.burgdorferi sensu lato from cerebrospinal fluid,
  • positive intrathecal borrelial antibody production index,
  • seroconversion of borrelial IgG antibodies,
  • presence of erythema migrans and/or borrelial lymphocytoma in the last month,
  • Bannwarth syndrome.

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Doxycycline, Doxy®DoxycyclineBeside symptomatic therapy, patients will receive oral doxycycline 100 mg (Doxy®) twice daily. Patients will answer a questionnaire asking about the presence and frequency of nonspecific symptoms such as headache, fatigue, arthralgia, myalgia.
No antibioticsSymptomatic therapyPatients will receive symptomatic therapy (paracetamol, Lekadol®, granisetron, Kytril®, metamizol, Analgin®, parenteral hydration with saline). Patients will answer a questionnaire asking about the presence and frequency of nonspecific symptoms such as headache, fatigue, arthralgia, myalgia.
No antibioticsQuestionnairePatients will receive symptomatic therapy (paracetamol, Lekadol®, granisetron, Kytril®, metamizol, Analgin®, parenteral hydration with saline). Patients will answer a questionnaire asking about the presence and frequency of nonspecific symptoms such as headache, fatigue, arthralgia, myalgia.
Healthy controlsQuestionnairePatients will be asked to refer a spouse to serve as a control. If unmarried they will be asked to refer a family member or a friend of +/- 5 years to serve as a control. Control subjects will be asked to answer a questionnaire asking about the presence and frequency of nonspecific symptoms such as headache, fatigue, arthralgia, myalgia.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Frequency of nonspecific symptoms such as headache, fatigue, arthralgia, myalgiaone year
Objective manifestations of Lyme borreliosisone year
Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

UMC Ljubljana, Department of Infectious Diseases

🇸🇮

Ljubljana, Slovenia

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