A joint research project between scientists of Ternopil State Medical University and the Institute of Rural Health (Lublin, Poland)

For four days, from November 26 to 29, 2017, two TSMU researchers, assistant professor of the department of infectious disease Mariia Shkilna, and leading specialist of TSMU interdisciplinary research clinical laboratory Olha Marchuk, together with specialists of Ternopil Regional Laboratory Center of Ministry of Health Volodymyr Panychev and Anatolii Dautov visited the Institute of Rural Health in Lublin, Poland.

The visit was dedicated to a joint study of borreliosis and other tick-transmitted infections (anaplasmosis and babesiosis) in the ticks collected in Ternopil region.

Collaboration with Polish scientists started in October 2016, when a series of joint studies on detection of borrelia bacteria in ticks collected in Ternopil region were carried out at TSMU interdisciplinary research clinical laboratory.

In 2017, Ternopil Regional Laboratory Center of Ministry of Health of Ukraine joined this research project, which to date has analyzed close to 300 ticks from different areas of Ternopil region. The ticks were primarily sampled from the forestry districts where previous TSMU-led tests of the forestry workers indicated a large number of antibodies to borrelia.

Olha Marchuk, Volodymyr Panychev and Anatolii Dautov investigate pathogens of borreliosis, anaplasmosis and babesiosis in ticks collected in Ternopil region.

Results of this study will help to develop interactive maps to show the distribution of ixodid tiks Ternopil, Ternopil region, Western Ukraine, and so on. Mapping tick distribution will make it possible to develop a series of anti-epidemic and preventive measures.

During their visit to Lublin TSMU researchers for the first time mastered the method of detecting anaplasmosis pathogen in human blood serum.

Members of the delegation also met with director of the Institute of Rural Health, Professor Lech Panasiuk.

During the meeting, they reached an agreement on further cooperation in research of Lyme borreliosis and other tick-transmitted infections in the hunters from Ternopil region and Lublin voivodeship of Poland.