Abstract:

Background: Borrelia spp. Infection is the one of the neglected tropical disease because it is not routinely diagnosed and sometimes misdiagnosed with other diseases such as malaria, or typhoid fever since it shares clinical presentation leading to increase morbidities and mortalities. In East Africa region the disease is endemic. Despite having a global distribution, little is known about its epidemiology in Tanzania.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence and associated factors of Borrelia spp infections among outpatient adults at Mpwapwa hospital in Mpwapwa district, Dodoma Tanzania.

Methodology: A cross-sectional hospital based study involving 186 outpatient adults who attended at Mpwapwa hospital in Mpwapwa district, Dodoma region, Tanzania was conducted between May and June 2019. Socio demographic data and other relevant information was collected using structured data collection tool. Detection of Borrelia spp infection in blood was performed by using Giemsa stain according to Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). Data were analyzed by using STATA version 13 software according to the objectives of the study.

Results: The median age of enrolled participants was 36 (IQR: 22-52) years and mean BMI was 21.82kg/m2. Among 186 enrolled patients only 1 patient (0.54%, 95% CI: 0.51-1.59) was found to have Borrelia spp. infection and none of the factors was found to associated with Borrelia spp infection.

Conclusion and Recommendations: The prevalence of Borrelia spp. Infection in Mpwapwa district is low. More advanced technique with sensitivity like PCR should be employed for further and accurately investigations.