(51) Incidence of Lyme Borreliosis in The Dutch General Practice Population: A Large-Scale Population-Based Cohort Study Across the Netherlands Between 2015 and 2019

Sunday, August 28, 2022

8:00 AM – 1:45 PM CEST

Location: Hall C

Publication Number: 1096

Presenting Author(s)

Hilda J. de Jong
– PHARMO Institute for Drug Outcomes Research, Netherlands

Co-Author(s)

Eline Houben
– Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
Fernie J. Penning-van Beest
– PHARMO Institute for Drug Outcomes Research, Utrecht, the Netherlands, Utrecht, Netherlands
Josephina Kuiper
– PHARMO Institute for Drug Outcomes Research, Utrecht, the Netherlands, Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
Emily Holthuis
– PHARMO Institute for Drug Outcomes Research, Utrecht, the Netherlands, Netherlands
Maxim Blum
– P95 Pharmacovigilance and Epidemiology, Leuven, Belgium, Belgium
Jozica Skufca
– P95 Pharmacovigilance and Epidemiology, Leuven, Belgium, Belgium
Margarita Riera-Montes
– P95 Pharmacovigilance and Epidemiology, Leuven, Belgium, Belgium
Bradford Gessner
– Pfizer Inc, Collegeville, PA, USA, United States
Andreas Pilz
– Pfizer Corporation, Wien, Austria, Austria
Andrew John Vyse
– Pfizer UK Ltd, Walton Oaks, Surrey, UK, United Kingdom
Elizabeth Begier
– Pfizer Inc, Collegeville, PA, USA, United States
Mendwas Dzingina
– Pfizer Inc, New York, NY, USA, United States
Ron Herings, PharmD, PhD, FISPE
– Director, PHARMO Institute for Drug Outcomes Research, Utrecht, Netherlands, Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
James H. Stark
– Pfizer Inc, Collegeville, PA, USA, United States

Background: There is a need for updated incidence rates (IRs) of Lyme borreliosis (LB) in Europe, including the Netherlands.

Objectives: To estimate LB IRs stratified by geographic area, year, age, sex, immunocompromised status, and socioeconomic status (SES).

Methods: All subjects registered in the PHARMO General Practitioner (GP) Database without prior diagnosis of LB or disseminated LB and having ≥1 year of continuous database enrolment were included. IRs and corresponding confidence intervals (CIs) of GP-recorded LB, erythema migrans (EM), and disseminated LB were estimated during the period 2015‒2019.

Results: We identified 14,794 cases with a diagnostic code for LB that included 8,208 with a recorded clinical manifestation: 7,985 (97%) with EM and 234 (3%) with disseminated LB. National annual LB IRs were relatively consistent over the study period, ranging from 111 (95% CI 106‒115) to 131 (95% CI 126‒136) per 100,000 person-years. Incidence of LB showed a bimodal age distribution, with peak IRs observed among subjects aged 5‒14 and 60‒69 years in men and women. Higher LB incidence was found in subjects who were residents of the provinces of Drenthe and Overijssel, immunocompromised, or of lower SES. Similar patterns were observed for EM and disseminated LB.

Conclusions: Our findings confirm that LB incidence remains substantial throughout the Netherlands with no indication of decline in the past 5 years. Foci in two provinces and among vulnerable populations suggest potential initial target groups for preventive strategies.