Recommendations for tick-borne encephalitis vaccination from the Central European Vaccination Awareness Group (CEVAG)

Abstract

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a viral neurological zoonotic disease transmitted to humans by ticks or by consumption of unpasteurised dairy products from infected cows, goats, or sheep. TBE is highly endemic in areas of Central and Eastern Europe and Russia where it is a major public health concern. However, it is difficult to diagnose TBE as clinical manifestations tend to be relatively nonspecific and a standardised case definition does not exist across the region. TBE is becoming more important in Europe due to the appearance of new endemic areas.