Antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi and tick salivary gland proteins in New Jersey outdoor workers

In 1990, a second cross-sectional study of outdoor workers (n = 758) at high risk for Lyme disease was conducted. A questionnaire was administered, and antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi and tick salivary gland proteins (antitick saliva antibody, a biologic marker of tick exposure) were assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The statewide Lyme disease seroprevalence increased from 8.1% in 1988 to 18.7% in 1990. Antitick saliva antibody seropositivity varied by county and was associated with measures of self-reported tick exposure. The data suggested that the prevalence of B. burgdorferi infection increased in New Jersey outdoor workers from 1988 to 1990.