Tick-borne encephalitis Vaccination

The majority of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) cases are caused by an often painless bite by an infected ixodes tick. The virus is transferred via the tick’s saliva. A small number of people have picked up TBE by drinking unpasteurized milk or eating dairy products from an infected goat.

While the tick bites may be painless, the viral infection can result in encephalitis, which affects the brain and spinal cord and can cause permanent neurological damage or death.

The World Health Organization says that 10,000–12,000 cases annually is a conservative estimate.

Symptoms of TBE

The flu-like symptoms of TBE emerge within two weeks of infection and include nausea, lethargy and muscle pain. This flu-like illness lasts around eight days and you can expect to make a full recovery.

If the infection progresses to encephalitis (brain swelling), paralysis or even death can result. Encephalitis is a medical emergency and you need to go to hospital if you have these symptoms:

• confusion or drowsiness
• seizures
• photophobia
• paralysis
• speech problems

With proper care patients do recover, but it may take months or years to get completely better. One in ten patients who progress to encephalitis will suffer long-term cognitive difficulties. And about 1% cases are fatal.

Flu-like symptoms that arise within a few weeks of your return from an area where you can catch TBE are a cause for concern and you should get medical advice.

Which travellers are more likely to catch TBE?

If you will be in an affected area from late spring to early fall, whether for fun (camping, hiking or walking) or work (with forestry or agriculture), speak to your healthcare provider about vaccination before travelling to the area.

Countries with a risk of tick-borne encephalitis

TBE can be contracted in the forested areas of Austria, the Balkans, the Czech Republic, European Russia, Hungary and Slovakia, as well as in the forests of Scandinavia. It is also present in the far eastern parts of the Russian Federation, Mongolia and northern China. The greatest risk is from late spring until early fall.

Prevention

Avoid bug bites by using insect repellent, wearing protective clothing and covering as much of the body as possible (wearing hats and tucking pant legs into socks). Generally, ticks prefer long grass and vegetation, so it’s best to stay on cleared paths and avoid overgrown trails.

If you do find a tick on yourself, make sure to promptly and carefully remove it without squeezing the bug’s body and without separating the head from the body – you do not want to leave the head embedded in your flesh.

The virus may even be picked up from drinking unpasteurized milk, so it’s best to avoid that.