The Seroprevalence of Tick-Borne Encephalitis in Rural Population of Mazandaran Province, Northern Iran (2018 - 2019)

Background: Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is a neurotropic tick-borne virus circulating in vast geographical areas of the northern hemisphere. Although the presence of TBEV vector has been documented in north Iran, there is no information about the circulation of TBEV in the country. Objectives: This study was designed in order to determinate the TBE serologic profile in the Mazandaran Province of Iran. Methods: In this cross-sectional seroepidemiologic study, from September to November 2018, 448 serum samples collected (by random sampling method) from general population residing in rural areas of Behshar, Galugah, Miandorud and Neka cities were evaluated for presence of anti TBEV IgG antibodies using a commercial Anti-TBE Virus ELISA (IgG) kit. Results: Sixteen (3.6%) samples were detected as reactive, in which 43.8% had a history of tick bite or tick squish. The highest seropositivity was observed in farmingianimal industry-related jobs (33.3%) or were housewives (33.3%). All reactive cases reported a history of consuming local unpasteurized dairy. Conclusions: This study provides first evidence on the circulation of TBEV in Northern Iran, where climatic conditions, presence of Ixodes ticks, and variability of mammalian hosts might contribute to TBEV establishment. Overarching investigations on tick vectors, animals, and human population would be recommended to shed light on the epidemiology of the virus in this region.