Tick-borne Encephalitis Virus – an emerging zoonosis
Wednesday, June 10th, 2009
Tick-borne encephalitis virus is a Flavivirus, and the causative agent of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), a potentially fatal neurological infection affecting humans in Europe and Asia. From 1974 to 2003, a 400% increase in TBE morbidity has been observed in Europe, and TBEV can now be found in regions that were previously unaffected. TBE is now a notifiable disease in 16 European countries, and cases have been confirmed in areas where it has not been previously reported, for example Norway. Between 1990 and 2007 there were an average of 8,755 reported cases of TBE per year in Europe and Russia, in comparison to an average of 2,755 per year between 1976 and 1989. This increase may have been caused by an expanding tick population, promoted by factors including climate change, social and political changes, and changes in land use.
Tick-borne Encephalitis Virus – a Review of an Emerging Zoonosis. J Gen Virol. May 6 2009
During the last thirty years, there has been a continued increase in human cases of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) in Europe, a disease caused by Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV). TBEV is endemic in an area ranging from Northern China and Japan, through Far-eastern Russia, to Europe, and is maintained in cycles involving Ixodid ticks (Ixodes ricinus and Ixodes persulcatus) and wild vertebrate hosts. The virus causes a potentially fatal neurological infection, with thousands of cases reported annually throughout Europe. TBE has a significant mortality rate depending upon the strain of virus, or may cause long-term neurological/neuropsychiatric sequelae in people affected. In this review, we comprehensively review TBEV, its epidemiology and pathogenesis, the clinical manifestations of TBE, along with vaccination and prevention. We also discuss the factors which may have influenced an apparent increase in the number of reported human cases each year, despite the availability of effective vaccines.
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