An epidemiologic study of XXXX in southern Sweden.

@entity1 @entity3001 @entity9144 @entity625 @entity66 @entity16 @entity8831 @entity281 @entity2401
BACKGROUND: @entity3001 is the most common vector-borne @entity281 in some temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. However, for most areas of @entity66 reliable epidemiologic data are sparse. METHODS: Over a one-year period, we conducted a prospective, population-based survey of cases of @entity3001 in southern Sweden. The diagnosis was made on the basis of the presence of @entity8831 at least 5 cm in diameter or characteristic clinical manifestations such as @entity625 , @entity9144 , and @entity2401 . RESULTS: We identified 1471 @entity1 with @entity3001 , for an overall annual incidence of 69 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. The incidence varied markedly according to geographic region, and there were several areas where disease was widely prevalent. The incidence varied according to age, with the highest rates among @entity1 5 to 9 and 60 to 74 years of age, but not according to sex. The most frequent clinical manifestation was @entity8831 (seen in 77 percent of all cases), followed by @entity9144 (16 percent) and @entity625 (7 percent). @entity2401 was rare. A preceding tick bite was reported by 79 percent of the @entity1 . Bites in the head and neck region were more common among @entity1 than among adults and were associated with an increased risk of @entity9144 . CONCLUSIONS: @entity3001 is very common in southern Sweden, with a relatively high frequency of @entity16 and @entity625 . With the exception of the low incidence of @entity2401 , the pattern of disease we found in Sweden was similar to that reported in the United States.
