TICK-BORNE ENCEPHALITIS (TBE) AND ITS IMMUNOPROPHYLAXIS

Caused by a flavivirus transmitted to man by tick bites the Tick-Borne Encephalitis (TEE) threaten persons in forest countries. Progressing for years on the european continent form East to West the TEE prevalence presents seasonal outbreaks due to tick activity. TEE has a diphasic course, After a silencious incubation period viremia is marked by a pseudo-grippal syndrom and a third of patients after an asymptomatic period of 2 to 3 weeks develop a meningitis or a meningo-encephalitis which may provoke death (1 to 2 %) or residual paresis (10 to 20 %), The detection of specific antibodies in blood or CSF makes TEE to be safely diagnosed, Because past effort to eradicate ticks were inefficient, alert the exposed populations to the risk of tick bites is the first measure to take. Vaccination is highly recommanded to exposed individuals living in endemic areas (FSME-Immu(R) vaccin, Immune) assuring a protection rate in 97 %. In absence of vaccination passive immunization with specific immunoglobulins (FSME-Bulin(R), Immuno) procures a good and rapid protection before exposure or up to 4 days after the tick bite. In Austria, an epidemic area, this preventive policy conducted for 10 years, was very effective.