Background. The aim of the study was to evaluate the awareness of Lyme borreliosis
prevention and risk of being infected with the Borrelia burgdorferi in the forestry workers of
Ternopil Region. To achieve the objective, serological tests were performed.

Material and methods. The studies were conducted by diagnosing serum in 348 employees
of Ternopil Region for anti-Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. antibodies by ELISA test. The age of
the examined persons ranged from 17 to 75, mean age - 38.9 years. All the participants
completed а questionnaire. The forestry workers were asked to state whether they noticed
any symptoms compatible with Lyme borreliosis.

Results. 348 forestry workers employed in five forest inspectorates were examined for
specific anti-Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. antibodies. With ELISA test, a positive or inconclusive
result in at least one antibody was observed in 43.1% of the respondents (n=150 of 348): IgM
antibody − in 14.6% (n=51 of 348), and IgG antibody – in 35.3% (n=123 of 348). The largest
number of respondents in the study group, i.e. 35.3%, were bitten in the abdomen area. As
for the methods of tick removal, most respondents pulled the tick out with fingers (35.9%),
while only 6.0% turned to a physician or nurse to have it removed. Erythema migrans (47%)
and pruritis (31%) were the most frequent symptoms among the participants.

Conclusions. T he absence of t he official r ecognition of Lyme b orreliosis a s a n o ccupational
disease in Ukraine makes the study of prevention measures and their distribution in professional
groups working in wooded areas an urgent matter. Providing the forest administration units
with a sufficient number of tweezers or special loops for tick removal would certainly increase
the protection of those exploiting forests against work-related tick-borne diseases.