Tick-borne encephalitis in children

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to characterize the clinical and epidemiological indicators of the acute period of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) in children who became ill in 1990—2017 and living in the region of Siberia and the Far East.We presented clinical and epidemiological data on TBE. The diagnosis of TBE was confirmed by Hemagglutination inhibition reaction, ELISA test and PCR. Other tick-borne diseases and diseases with similar symptoms were excluded. It was mathematically proved that incidence rate depends on the increase in tick populations and duration of epidemic season but not on their virus activity.A significant reduction in the incidence rate and a change in the ratio of clinical forms were recorded after 2003. The frequency of a febrile form increased, while the frequency of meningeal and focal forms decreased without change in frequency and severity of TBE symptoms. The threat of a fatal outcome persists, which can only be prevented by early diagnosis, adequate therapy and vaccination.

Keywords

• children
• tick-borne encephalitis
• epidemiology
• clinical picture
• outcomes