Lyme Disease Agent in Egypt?

We here report our findings after evaluating individuals from various geographical locations in Egypt for exposure to Borrelia burgdorferi. Our initial screening of sera collected from high-risk individuals with fever or unknown origin (FUO) or meningitis and of low-risk individuals (routine blood bank donors) as controls revealed several reactive samples. To our surprise, all reactive samples were from routine blood bank donors living in an isolated oasis of Egypt. We therefore extended our investigation by assaying 61 individuals from this location, all of whom were either blood bank donors or patients at a clinic for dermatological disorders including sexually transmitted diseases (STD). In Egypt, dermatologists generally care for patients with STDs. A commercially available indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) assay (Lyme-check, Diagnostic Technology, Hauppauge, New York, USA) for determination of antibodies to B. burgdorferi was performed on the sera from 145 patients with FUO, STD and meningitis and from routine blood bank donors.