Dorothy FarrarTick-borne encephalitis (TBE)
Tick -borne encephalitis ( TBE ) is a viral disease that is primarily transmitted by tick bites. Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) occurs more frequently in the early summer months.
What is tick-borne encephalitis (TBE)?
Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a viral disease caused by the TBE virus. Its designation tick-borne encephalitis is due, among other things, to the fact that the risk of contracting tick-borne encephalitis is particularly high in the early summer months.
The term encephalitis indicates that tick-borne encephalitis is an inflammatory disease that affects the brain or meninges. In most cases, tick-borne encephalitis does not cause any consequential damage in the person affected.
causes
Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is primarily transmitted through the bite of ticks or wood block (parasites). Some ticks carry the TBE virus in their saliva. Therefore, the virus is transmitted as soon as the tick bites.
Ticks that transmit tick-borne encephalitis are mainly found in southern Germany. These include, for example, Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Thuringia and southern Hesse.
Not every tick transmits tick-borne encephalitis – in science it is assumed (depending on the region) that an approximate percentage of 0.5 – 6% of ticks are TBE carriers.
Tick-borne encephalitis cannot be transmitted from person to person – so there is no risk of infection from people infected with the TBE virus.
When to the doctor?
Along with the fact that only 10-30% of those infected show symptoms, there is no need to go to the doctor for most people who have been infected by the TBE pathogen. However, if the typical symptoms of the disease appear a few days to three weeks after contact with a tick, the affected person feels a flu-like malaise. In almost a third of the cases, these symptoms subside and the infected person has survived the disease.
In all other cases, however, the clinical picture worsens after a short-term improvement. At the latest, a doctor should be consulted, since involvement of the brain and the nervous system is likely. Severe symptoms such as paralysis, nausea and confusion can occur. These need to be monitored and treated as they include breathing problems , among other things .
Special People who are asymptomatic after exposure to a source of risk but live in an area where tick-borne encephalitis is more common should monitor their bodies closely and see a doctor for a definitive diagnosis at the slightest sign of an outbreak. The same applies to people who are not vaccinated against TBE. If the disease has broken out with its initial symptoms and then subsides without the fever rising again within the following days, a visit to the doctor is not necessary.
symptoms and course
Typical symptoms of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE):
After an infection with the TBE virus, the incubation period is about one to two weeks before symptoms of tick-borne encephalitis appear. They then usually last for about a week. The symptoms of tick-borne encephalitis are similar to those of the flu: These can include headaches and muscle pain, fever, runny nose , a feeling of exhaustion and gastrointestinal problems such as nausea, abdominal pain or diarrhea.
Around 10% of people who suffer from tick-borne encephalitis show a typical two-phase course of the disease: While there is often a one-week symptom-free period after the symptoms mentioned above, neurological (relating to the nervous system) complaints follow a. These show up, for example, in severe fever and headaches and body aches. The brain, meninges or spinal cord can then be affected by tick-borne encephalitis, for example.
Diagnose
If the patient goes to the doctor with suspected tick-borne encephalitis (FSME), he will conduct a conversation as part of the anamnesis. He inquires whether the person concerned has stayed in a TBE risk area or has recently had a tick bite. If the patient cannot remember or did not notice anything of the sort, this does not mean that tick-borne encephalitis is not present. During the conversation, the doctor asks about any complaints. TBE is usually characterized by two fever attacks that do not go unnoticed.
If tick-borne encephalitis is suspected, the examination of the blood and the analysis of cerebrospinal fluid provide important information for the diagnosis. If there are elevated levels of inflammation in the blood and if there are specific antibodies against the TBE virus in the blood or liquor, the doctor can be sure. The virus can only be detected in the body of the person affected when the disease breaks out. If meningitis is already present later in the course of the disease, it can no longer be detected. Then only the body’s immune response to the virus can be measured.
When it comes to determining how far the inflammation has spread in the brain, magnetic resonance imaging is helpful. In this way, details can be displayed in the skull, but this does not allow any conclusions to be drawn about the severity of the disease and the possibility of permanent damage.
complications
In rare cases, an infection with the TBE virus can lead to serious complications. In general, an infection is uncomplicated and heals without any consequential damage. In severe cases, the meninges, brain and spinal cord become inflamed, and a so-called meningoencephalomyelitis develops. The more nerve tissue is affected, the more difficult the course. Complications are associated with serious neurological symptoms. Those affected suffer from paralysis, altered personality and epileptic seizures. Unbearable headaches and concentration problems are further complications.
It is not uncommon for intensive medical care with ventilation to be necessary in this case. In some cases, these symptoms do not regress even after several months. Lengthy rehabilitation in specialized facilities is unavoidable. Severe courses of a TBE infection occur significantly more frequently in adults than in children. However, children can also be affected. A particularly severe course can lead to a coma or death of the person concerned. In up to 30% of cases with a severe course, lifelong disabilities such as deterioration in vision and hearing or problems with memory remain. Those affected are also often emotionally unstable and have reduced stress tolerance.
treatment and therapy
Since tick-borne encephalitis is a viral disease, the underlying disease is difficult to treat. The focus of therapy is therefore the treatment and alleviation of the symptoms associated with tick-borne encephalitis (TBE).
In the case of tick-borne encephalitis, doctors recommend, for example, bed rest. If necessary, pain-relieving medication can be prescribed.
If the nervous system is affected in a person affected by tick-borne encephalitis, consistent care is recommended – for example, any seizures that may occur must be counteracted quickly.
In exceptional cases, inpatient intensive medical care for those affected by tick-borne encephalitis is necessary. A so-called passive vaccination (the injection of antibodies) used occasionally in the past immediately after infection is now only rarely used due to the complications that have occurred.
prevention
Since an infection with tick-borne encephalitis is mainly transmitted during leisure activities, it is advisable to take various precautionary measures: ticks prefer to stay in undergrowth and high grass.
In order to avoid contracting tick-borne encephalitis (FSME), it can therefore make sense to wear light-colored clothing with a waistband when staying in the woods and meadows. These precautionary measures make it more difficult for ticks to reach preferred body regions such as the back of the knees or armpits.
When staying in risk areas, preventive vaccination can also be useful.
Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.