Tick borne encephalitis

Forest encephalitis is a natural focal disease transmitted through the bite of hard ticks, and its pathogen is the tick-borne encephalitis virus from the Flaviviridae family. The mortality rate of forest encephalitis is relatively high, making laboratory testing significant in diagnosing this disease. This article elaborates on the etiological diagnostic methods and recent research progress in forest encephalitis. Laboratory tests for forest encephalitis mainly include routine examinations, serological tests, virus isolation, and molecular biological testing...

The yellow fever 17D vaccine (YF17D) is highly effective but is frequently administered to individuals with pre-existing cross-reactive immunity, potentially impacting their immune responses. Here, we investigate the impact of pre-existing flavivirus immunity induced by the tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) vaccine on the response to YF17D vaccination in 250 individuals up to 28 days post-vaccination (pv) and 22 individuals sampled one-year pv. Our findings indicate that previous TBEV vaccination does not affect the early IgM-driven neutralizing response to YF17D...

Haemaphysalis longicornis (the longhorned tick), the predominant tick species in China, serves as a vector for a variety of pathogens, and is capable of transmitting the tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), the causative agent of tick-borne encephalitis. However, it is unclear how these ticks transmit TBEV. Langat virus (LGTV), which has a reduced pathogenicity in humans, has been used as a surrogate for TBEV. In this study, we aimed to investigate the vector competence of H. longicornis to transmit LGTV and demonstrate the efficient acquisition and transmission of LGTV between this tick species and mice...

Tick-borne encephalitis is a vaccine-preventable disease of concern for public health in large parts of Europe, with EU notification rates increasing since 2018. It is caused by the orthoflavivirus tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) and a diagnosis of infection is mainly based on serology due to its short viremic phase, often before symptom onset. The interpretation of TBEV serology is hampered by a history of orthoflavivirus vaccination and by previous infections with related orthoflaviviruses. Here, we sought to improve TBEV sero-diagnostics using an antigen combination of in-house expressed NS1 and EDIII in a multiplex, low-specimen-volume set-up for the detection of immune responses to TBEV and other clinically important orthoflaviviruses (i...

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) represents an important public health problem in Europe. We analyzed the epidemiology of TBE based on data from humans, animals, and Ixodes ricinus ticks in endemic regions of continental Croatia. In the period from 2017 to 2023, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum samples of 684 patients with neuroinvasive diseases, 2240 horse serum samples, and 300 sheep serum samples were tested for TBEV. In addition, 8751 I. ricinus ticks were collected. CSF samples were tested using RT-PCR...

Human viruses and viruses from animals can cause illnesses in humans after the consumption of contaminated food or water. Contamination may occur during preparation by infected food handlers, during food production because of unsuitably controlled working conditions, or following the consumption of animal-based foods contaminated by a zoonotic virus. This review discussed the recent information available on the general and clinical characteristics of viruses, viral foodborne outbreaks and control strategies to prevent the viral contamination of food products and water...

The structure and biochemical properties of protease inhibitors from the thyropin family are poorly understood in parasites and pathogens. Here, we introduce a novel family member, Ir-thyropin (IrThy), which is secreted in the saliva of Ixodes ricinus ticks, vectors of Lyme borreliosis and tick-borne encephalitis. The IrThy molecule consists of two consecutive thyroglobulin type-1 (Tg1) domains with an unusual disulfide pattern. Recombinant IrThy was found to inhibit human host-derived cathepsin proteases with a high specificity for cathepsins V, K, and L among a wide range of screened cathepsins exhibiting diverse endo- and exopeptidase activities...

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the need to develop effective therapeutics in preparedness for further epidemics of virus infections that pose a significant threat to human health. As a natural compound antiviral candidate, we focused on α-dystroglycan, a highly glycosylated basement membrane protein that links the extracellular matrix to the intracellular cytoskeleton. Here we show that the N-terminal fragment of α-dystroglycan (α-DGN), as produced in E. coli in the absence of post-translational modifications, blocks infection of SARS-CoV-2 in cell culture, human primary gut organoids and the lungs of transgenic mice expressing the human receptor angiotensin I-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2)...

BACKGROUND: Travel to Southeast Asia increases the likelihood of acquiring mosquito-borne Flavivirus infections such as dengue (DENV), Japanese encephalitis (JEV), and Zika viruses (ZIKV). Expatriates are long-term travellers who have a higher risk of mosquito-borne illness at their destination country. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the seroprevalence of DENV, JEV and ZIKV infections and the determinants contributing to seropositivity among expatriates living in Thailand. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed from December 2017 to February 2020...

Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is a common virus in Europe and Asia, causing around 10,000 to 10,500 infections annually. It affects the central nervous system and poses threats to public health. However, the exact molecular mechanisms of TBE pathogenesis are not yet fully understood due to the complex interactions between the virus and its host. In this study, a comprehensive analysis was conducted to characterize the serum metabolome and proteome of adult patients infected with TBEV, in comparison to a control group of healthy individuals...

The Baltic states are the region in Europe where tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is most endemic. The highest notification rate of TBE cases is reported in Lithuania, where the incidence of TBE has significantly increased since 1992. A recent study reported 0.4% prevalence of TBE virus (TBEV) in the two most common tick species distributed in Lithuania, Ixodes ricinus and Dermacentor reticulatus, with the existence of endemic foci confirmed in seven out of Lithuania's ten counties. However, until now, no comprehensive data on molecular characterisation and phylogenetic analysis have been available for the circulating TBEV strains...

Tick-borne Encephalitis (TBE) is a severe disease of the Central Nervous System (CNS) caused by the tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV). The generation of protective immunity after TBEV infection or TBE vaccination relies on the integrated responses of many distinct cell types at distinct physical locations. While long-lasting memory immune responses, in particular, form the basis for the correlates of protection against many diseases, these correlates of protection have not yet been clearly defined for TBE...

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No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Tick-borne flaviviruses (TBFs) are transmitted to humans through milk and tick bites. Although a case of possible mother-to-child transmission of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) through breast milk has been reported, this route has not been confirmed in experimental models. Therefore, in this study, using type I interferon receptor-deficient A129 mice infected with Langat virus (LGTV), we aimed to demonstrate the presence of infectious virus in the milk and mammary glands of infected mice. Our results showed viral RNA of LGTV in the pup's stomach milk clots (SMCs) and blood, indicating that the virus can be transmitted from dam to pup through breast milk...

BACKGROUND: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in meningoencephalitis have mainly been described in terms of their diagnostic value rather than their prognostic potential, except for herpes simplex virus (HSV) encephalitis. The aims of our study were to describe frequency and anatomic locations of MRI abnormalities specific to limbic, circadian and motor systems in a cohort of meningoencephalitis patients, as well as to investigate the prognostic value of these MRI findings. METHODS: A secondary, selective analysis of a retrospective database including all meningitis, meningoencephalitis and encephalitis cases treated between 2016 and 2018 in the University hospital of Bern, Switzerland was performed...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

The emergence of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) in Europe marked several significant milestones. The discovery of TBE in Czechoslovakia in 1948, with Gallia and Krejčí simultaneously isolating the TBE virus (TBEV) from human samples for the first time in Europe outside the Soviet Union, was pivotal. Subsequent TBEV isolation from ticks suggested the viral transmission via this vector. In 1951, the outbreak in Rožňava in Slovakia (Czechoslovakia) revealed an unexpected mode of transmission, unpasteurized milk from a local dairy, challenging existing understanding...

INTRODUCTION: Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is rapidly spreading to new areas in many parts of Europe. While vaccination remains the most effective method of protection against the disease, vaccine uptake is low in many endemic countries. AREAS COVERED: We conducted a literature search of the MEDLINE database to identify articles published from 2018 to 2023 that evaluated the immunogenicity and effectiveness of TBE vaccines, particularly Encepur, when booster doses were administered up to 10 years apart...

BACKGROUND: The natural transmission cycle of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus is enhanced by complex interactions between ticks and key hosts strongly connected to habitat characteristics. The diversity of wildlife host species and their relative abundance is known to affect transmission of tick-borne diseases. Therefore, in the current context of global biodiversity loss, we explored the relationship between habitat richness and the pattern of human TBE cases in Europe to assess biodiversity's role in disease risk mitigation...