112: SITUATION OF RELAPSING FEVER BORRELIOSIS IN BIJAR, IRAN

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Tick-Borne Relapsing Fever (TBRF) is a zoonotic disease involving many species of rodents and small mammals in widely distributed areas throughout the world. We describe the epidemiological and demographic characters of found cases of TBRF in the Bijar County, and briefly review it for preventing this illness in the year of 2007–2008. METHODS: A confirmed patient was defined as a person who had both febrile illness and detection of spirochetes by Wright-Giemsa or dark-field microscopy in a peripheral blood smear. All patients were asked to complete a questionnaire including demographic characteristics and clinical and epidemiological data of TBRF. Data was analyzed using SPSS. Eleven cases have been reported. RESULTS: There were 5 cases (45.4%) of the patients younger than 10 years. Of the patients, 63.6% occurred in summer. All cases developed during the months of May to October. All of the reported cases were living in rural areas. Fever and chills, the most common symptoms, occurred in all patients. Recurrent fever occurred in 54.5% cases. All of the cases were cured according the national guideline for TBRF treatment. Only 18.2% of the patients were hospitalized. No patients this study died of TBRF. Most (54.5%) of the cases were students. Approximately 72.7% of the patients were keeping cattle and sheep near or inside their homes. CONCLUSION: As demonstrated, TBRF is a considerable public health concern, especially for children and students living in Bijar County. Considering the epidemiology of the disease, new control measures should be established.