As much as 583 unfed Ixodes ricinus ticks (adults and nymphs) were collected by flagging a lower vegetation on the territory of 3 areas of the Lublin Region (eastern Poland): Puławy, Zwierzyniec, and Gościeradów. Ticks were examined with the PCR method for the presence of DNA fragment of Anaplasma phagocytophilum corresponding to 16S rRNA gene. The blood sera of 176 forestry workers from the same areas were examined for the presence of specific antibodies against A. phagocytophilum with immunofluorescence test. Sera of 56 blood donors living in the city of Lublin were examined as a control group.

52 ticks (8.9%) were infected with A. phagocytophilum, as demonstrated by the presence of 16S rRNA gene. The infection rate of female ticks was high (23.8%), being much greater than in males (3.8%) and nymphs (3.4%).

34 out of 176 forestry workers examined (19.3%) showed the presence of antibodies to A. phagocytophilum. In the control group of blood donors seropositive results were found in only 3 persons (5.4%). The difference between the antibody response to A. phagocytophilum in forestry workers and persons from the control group was statistically significant (p<0.05).

The infection rates of both ticks and forestry workers were highest in Puławy area (14.9% vs. 26.7%), lower in Zwierzyniec area (7.1% vs. 18.0%) and the lowest in Gościeradów area (4.8% vs. 14.3%). A locality-dependent significant correlation was found between the A. phagocytophilum infection rates in ticks and forestry workers (r = +0.99, p<0.05). It indicates a close relationship between the occupational exposure and human infection and suggests that Lublin province may be an endemic region of human anaplasmosis.