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Pathogens
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Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus
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Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus

A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817). This special issue belongs to the section "Viral Pathogens".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2023) | Viewed by 15222

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Anna Moniuszko-Malinowska

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Infectious Diseases and Neuroinfections, Medical University of Bialystok, 15-089 Białystok, Poland
Interests: TBE; TBEV; tick; encephalitis; meningitis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is an emerging vector-borne disease in Europe caused by tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), which belongs to the Flaviviridae family. The number of TBE cases in Europe varies depending on the country and ranges from a few up to 1000 cases per year. There are three distinct clinical forms of TBE: meningitis, meningoencephalitis, meningoencephalomyelitis. In patients with meningoencephalitis and meningoencephalomyelitis, the course of the disease is more severe. The mortality rate is 1%–4%, and a fatal outcome is usually observed in the elderly or immunodeficient patients, but occasionally in young persons.

Although most patients quickly recover from the disease, some require further neurological and psychiatric treatment due to persisting symptoms. So‐called post‐encephalitic TBE syndrome was described in 35%–58% of patients. This may cause long‐term morbidity that often affects the patient’s quality of life and forces a change in lifestyle. The most commonly reported symptoms were cognitive or neuropsychiatric complaints, balance disorders, headache, dysphasia, hearing defects, and limb paresis.

The pathogenesis of different clinical presentations and sequelae development in TBE has not been fully recognized so far. TBE virus neurotropism preferentially targets large neurons of anterior horns, medulla oblongata, pons, dentate nucleus, Purkinje cells, and striatum. It was confirmed that the disease may lead to nerve cell destruction.

Although there is a vaccine available, treatment remains symptomatic.

This Special Issue will focus on, but not exclusively, the following areas of research:

  1. Epidemiological aspects of TBE
  2. Pathogenesis and diagnostics of TBE in humans
  3. Development of sequelae after TBE
  4. Approach to prevention and treatment
  5. Development of novel therapeutic strategies against TBE complications

Prof. Dr. Anna Moniuszko-Malinowska
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pathogens is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • TBE
  • TBEV
  • tick
  • encephalitis
  • meningitis

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 1628 KiB  
Article
Seroprevalence of Tick-Borne Encephalitis (TBE) Virus Antibodies in Wild Rodents from Two Natural TBE Foci in Bavaria, Germany
by Philipp Johannes Brandenburg, Anna Obiegala, Hannah Maureen Schmuck, Gerhard Dobler, Lidia Chitimia-Dobler and Martin Pfeffer
Pathogens 2023, 12(2), 185; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12020185 - 25 Jan 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2230
Abstract
Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is Eurasia’s most important tick-borne viral disease. Rodents play an important role as natural hosts. Longitudinal studies on the dynamics of the seroprevalence rates in wild rodents in natural foci over the year are rare, and the dynamics of the [...] Read more.
Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is Eurasia’s most important tick-borne viral disease. Rodents play an important role as natural hosts. Longitudinal studies on the dynamics of the seroprevalence rates in wild rodents in natural foci over the year are rare, and the dynamics of the transmission cycle still need to be understood. To better understand the infection dynamics, rodents were captured in a capture-mark-release-recapture-study in two natural foci in Bavaria, Germany, monthly from March 2019 to October 2022. Overall, 651 blood and thoracic lavage samples from 478 different wild rodents (Clethrionomys glareolus and Apodemus flavicollis) were analyzed for antibodies against tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IIFA) and confirmed using a serum neutralization test (SNT). Furthermore, a generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) analysis was performed to investigate ecological and individual factors for the probability of infection in rodents. Clethrionomys glareolus (19.4%) had a higher seroprevalence than A. flavicollis (10.5%). Within Cl. glareolus, more males (40.4%) than females (15.6%) were affected, and more adults (25.4%) than juveniles (9.8%). The probability of infection of rodents rather depends on factors such as species, sex, and age than on the study site of a natural focus, year, and season. The high incidence rates of rodents, particularly male adult bank voles, highlight their critical role in the transmission cycle of TBEV in a natural focus and demonstrate that serologically positive rodents can be reliably detected in a natural focus regardless of season or year. In addition, these data contribute to a better understanding of the TBEV cycle and thus could improve preventive strategies for human infections. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus)
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10 pages, 279 KiB  
Article
Outbreak of Alimentary Tick-Borne Encephalitis in Eastern Slovakia: An Analysis of Affected Patients and Long-Term Outcomes
by Zuzana Paraličová, Jakub Sekula, Pavol Jarčuška, Martin Novotný, Alena Rovňáková, Ján Hockicko and Ivana Hockicková
Pathogens 2022, 11(4), 433; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens11040433 - 2 Apr 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2102
Abstract
Objective: Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is an endemic zoonotic viral disease in many European countries and in the central and eastern parts of Asia. Slovakia reports the highest occurrence of alimentary tick-borne encephalitis in Europe, after the consumption of unpasteurized milk and cheese from [...] Read more.
Objective: Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is an endemic zoonotic viral disease in many European countries and in the central and eastern parts of Asia. Slovakia reports the highest occurrence of alimentary tick-borne encephalitis in Europe, after the consumption of unpasteurized milk and cheese from domestic ruminants. In May 2016, an outbreak of tick-borne encephalitis that emerged after the consumption of sheep cheese occurred in eastern Slovakia. In total, 44 people were ill and 36 were hospitalized. Methods: Data from the 36 hospitalized patients at the Department of Infectology and Travel Medicine in Košice with TBE were retrospectively analysed from the medical documentation. The patients were contacted 3 years after discharge. Results: Twenty of the hospitalized patients had meningoencephalitis and 16 had meningitis. The main symptoms that occurred in all patients were fever and headache. Nuchal rigidity was seen in 50% of the patients. Three patients developed late systemic complications and another six patients had psychiatric complications. None of the patients died. Three years after the disease onset, 52% of contacted patients reported persistent discomfort. Conclusions: TBE is an infection with a wide range of clinical courses. Our findings suggest that alimentary-acquired TBE lead to severe disease and persistent discomfort. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus)
8 pages, 986 KiB  
Article
Anti-TBE Intrathecal Synthesis as a Prediction Marker in TBE Patients
by Agnieszka Siemieniako-Werszko, Piotr Czupryna, Anna Moniuszko-Malinowska, Justyna Dunaj-Małyszko, Sławomir Pancewicz, Sambor Grygorczuk and Joanna Zajkowska
Pathogens 2022, 11(4), 416; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens11040416 - 29 Mar 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1796
Abstract
Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is an emerging vector-borne disease in Europe caused by tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), which belongs to Flaviviridae. Although most of the patients quickly recover from TBE, some require further neurological and psychiatric treatment due to persistent symptoms. The aim of [...] Read more.
Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is an emerging vector-borne disease in Europe caused by tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), which belongs to Flaviviridae. Although most of the patients quickly recover from TBE, some require further neurological and psychiatric treatment due to persistent symptoms. The aim of the study was to evaluate the usefulness of an antibodies index for predicting the course of the disease and potential persistent sequalae. Sixty-six patients (49 males and 17 females, mean age 45.97 ± 13.69 years) with TBE hospitalized in the Department of Infectious Diseases and Neuroinfections, Medical University of Bialystok, Poland, in years 2016–2019 were included to the study. TBE antibodies titer in serum and CSF samples were measured with an Anti-TBEV ELISA (IgM, IgG) EUROIMMUN test. Patients who developed persistent sequelae after TBE had significantly lower IgG intrathecal index at admission. Additionally, IgG2/IgG1was significantly higher in patients who developed sequelae. IgG intrathecal index might be a useful tool for the prediction of TBE sequelae development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus)
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9 pages, 262 KiB  
Article
The Lack of the Association of the CCR5 Genotype with the Clinical Presentation and Frequency of Tick-Borne Encephalitis in the Polish Population
by Sambor Grygorczuk, Justyna Dunaj-Małyszko, Artur Sulik, Kacper Toczyłowski, Piotr Czupryna, Agnieszka Żebrowska and Miłosz Parczewski
Pathogens 2022, 11(3), 318; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens11030318 - 4 Mar 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1953
Abstract
Background: The host factors influencing the susceptibility to and the severity of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) are poorly defined. The loss-of-function Δ32 mutation in the chemokine receptor gene CCR5 was identified as a risk factor for West Nile encephalitis and possibly for TBE, suggesting [...] Read more.
Background: The host factors influencing the susceptibility to and the severity of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) are poorly defined. The loss-of-function Δ32 mutation in the chemokine receptor gene CCR5 was identified as a risk factor for West Nile encephalitis and possibly for TBE, suggesting a protective role of CCR5 in Flavivirus encephalitis. Methods: We studied the CCR5 genotype in 205 TBE patients stratified by a clinical presentation and 257 controls from the same endemic area (Podlasie, Poland). The genotype distribution between the groups and differences between TBE patients with different genotypes were analyzed. Results: There were 36 (17.6%) CCR5Δ32 heterozygotes and 3 (1.5%) homozygotes in the TBE group, with no statistically significant difference in comparison with the controls. The CCR5Δ32 allele did not associate with the clinical presentation or the severity of TBE. The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) inflammatory parameters did not differ between the wild-type (wt/wt) and wt/Δ32 genotype patients. The TBE clinical presentation and CSF parameters in three Δ32/Δ32 homozygotes were unremarkable. Conclusions: The lack of association of CCR5Δ32 with the risk and clinical presentation of TBE challenges the suspected CCR5 protective role. CCR5 is not indispensable for the effective immune response against the TBE virus. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus)
12 pages, 1857 KiB  
Article
New and Confirmed Foci of Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus (TBEV) in Northern Germany Determined by TBEV Detection in Ticks
by Anna-Katharina Topp, Andrea Springer, Gerhard Dobler, Malena Bestehorn-Willmann, Masyar Monazahian and Christina Strube
Pathogens 2022, 11(2), 126; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens11020126 - 21 Jan 2022
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3383
Abstract
Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a tick-transmitted, virus-induced neurological disease with potentially fatal outcomes in humans and animals. Virus transmission takes places in so-called tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) microfoci, which constitute small areas of sustained virus circulation. In southern Germany, TBEV has been endemic [...] Read more.
Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a tick-transmitted, virus-induced neurological disease with potentially fatal outcomes in humans and animals. Virus transmission takes places in so-called tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) microfoci, which constitute small areas of sustained virus circulation. In southern Germany, TBEV has been endemic for decades; however, a northward expansion of risk areas, based on disease incidence in the human population, has been observed in recent years. The present study investigated TBEV occurrence in questing ticks at eight locations in the federal state of Lower Saxony, northwestern Germany, chosen due to reported associations with human TBE cases (N = 4) or previous virus detection (N = 4). A total of 20,056 ticks were collected in 2020 and 2021 and tested for TBEV RNA in pools of ten nymphs or five adults by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (RT-qPCR). Positive results were confirmed by RT amplification of the viral E gene. In total, 18 pools from five different sampling locations were positive for TBEV RNA. One previously unknown transmission focus was detected, while ongoing virus circulation was confirmed at the four further locations. Phylogenetic analysis showed that two different virus strains with different origins circulate in the locations identified as natural foci. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus)
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Review

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10 pages, 1254 KiB  
Review
Epidemiological Trends of Trans-Boundary Tick-Borne Encephalitis in Europe, 2000–2019
by Mulugeta A. Wondim, Piotr Czupryna, Sławomir Pancewicz, Ewelina Kruszewska, Monika Groth and Anna Moniuszko-Malinowska
Pathogens 2022, 11(6), 704; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens11060704 - 18 Jun 2022
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 2814
Abstract
Tick-borne encephalitis is a neuroinfection widely distributed in the Euro–Asia region. Primarily, the virus is transmitted by the bite of infected ticks. From 2000–2019, the total number of confirmed cases in Europe reported to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control was [...] Read more.
Tick-borne encephalitis is a neuroinfection widely distributed in the Euro–Asia region. Primarily, the virus is transmitted by the bite of infected ticks. From 2000–2019, the total number of confirmed cases in Europe reported to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control was 51,519. The number of cases decreased in 2014 and 2015; however, since 2015, a growing number of cases have been observed, with the involvement of countries in which TBE has not been previously reported. The determinant factors for the spread of TBE are host population size, weather conditions, movement of hosts, and local regulations on the socioeconomic dynamics of the local and travelling people around the foci areas. The mean incidence rate of tick-borne encephalitis from 2000–2019 in Europe was 3.27, while the age-adjusted mean incidence rate was 2.19 per 100,000 population size. This review used several articles and data sources from the European Centre for Diseases Prevention and Control. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus)
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