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Kunze M, Banović P, Bogovič P, Briciu V, Čivljak R, Dobler G, Hristea A, Kerlik J, Kuivanen S, Kynčl J, Lebech AM, Lindquist L, Paradowska-Stankiewicz I, Roglić S, Smíšková D, Strle F, Vapalahti O, Vranješ N, Vynograd N, Zajkowska JM, Pilz A, Palmborg A, Erber W. Recommendations to Improve Tick-Borne Encephalitis Surveillance and Vaccine Uptake in Europe. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10071283. [PMID: 35889002 PMCID: PMC9322045 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10071283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
There has been an increase in reported TBE cases in Europe since 2015, reaching a peak in some countries in 2020, highlighting the need for better management of TBE risk in Europe. TBE surveillance is currently limited, in part, due to varying diagnostic guidelines, access to testing, and awareness of TBE. Consequently, TBE prevalence is underestimated and vaccination recommendations inadequate. TBE vaccine uptake is unsatisfactory in many TBE-endemic European countries. This review summarizes the findings of a scientific workshop of experts to improve TBE surveillance and vaccine uptake in Europe. Strategies to improve TBE surveillance and vaccine uptake should focus on: aligning diagnostic criteria and testing across Europe; expanding current vaccine recommendations and reducing their complexity; and increasing public education of the potential risks posed by TBEV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Kunze
- Center for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Pavle Banović
- Ambulance for Lyme Borreliosis and Other Tick-Borne Diseases, Department of Prevention of Rabies and Other Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia;
- Department of Microbiology with Parasitology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine in Novi Sad, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Petra Bogovič
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Japljeva 2, 1525 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (P.B.); (F.S.)
| | - Violeta Briciu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj-Napoca, 400348 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
| | - Rok Čivljak
- University Hospital for Infectious Diseases “Dr. Fran Mihaljević”, Mirogojska 8, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (R.Č.); (S.R.)
- Department for Infectious Diseases, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Gerhard Dobler
- National Reference Laboratory for TBEV, Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, 80937 Munich, Germany;
| | - Adriana Hristea
- Faculty of Medicine, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020022 Bucharest, Romania;
| | - Jana Kerlik
- Department of Epidemiology, Regional Authority of Public Health in Banská Bystrica, 97556 Banská Bystrica, Slovakia;
| | - Suvi Kuivanen
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; (S.K.); (O.V.)
| | - Jan Kynčl
- Department of Infectious Diseases Epidemiology, National Institute of Public Health, Vinohrady, 10000 Prague, Czech Republic;
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, 10000 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Anne-Mette Lebech
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital—Rigshospitalet, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark;
| | - Lars Lindquist
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institute, 14186 Stockholm, Sweden;
| | - Iwona Paradowska-Stankiewicz
- Department of Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases and Surveillance, National Institute of Public Health, National Institute of Hygiene—National Research Institute, 00791 Warsaw, Poland;
| | - Srđan Roglić
- University Hospital for Infectious Diseases “Dr. Fran Mihaljević”, Mirogojska 8, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (R.Č.); (S.R.)
- Department for Infectious Diseases, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Dita Smíšková
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, 18081 Prague, Czech Republic;
| | - Franc Strle
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Japljeva 2, 1525 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (P.B.); (F.S.)
| | - Olli Vapalahti
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; (S.K.); (O.V.)
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
- Virology and Immunology, HUSLAB, Helsinki University Hospital, 00260 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Nenad Vranješ
- Department for Research & Monitoring of Rabies & Other Zoonoses, Pasteur Institute Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia;
| | - Nataliya Vynograd
- Department of Epidemiology, Danylo Halytsky Lviv National Medical University, 79010 Lviv, Ukraine;
| | - Joanna Maria Zajkowska
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Neuroinfections, Medical University of Białystok, 15-540 Białystok, Poland;
| | - Andreas Pilz
- Medical and Scientific Affairs, Pfizer Vaccines, 1210 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Andreas Palmborg
- Medical and Scientific Affairs, Pfizer Vaccines, 19138 Stockholm, Sweden;
| | - Wilhelm Erber
- Medical and Scientific Affairs, Pfizer Vaccines, 1210 Vienna, Austria;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +43-664-4212746
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Zając Z, Bartosik K, Kulisz J, Woźniak A. Incidence of Tick-Borne Encephalitis during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Selected European Countries. J Clin Med 2022; 11:803. [PMID: 35160255 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11030803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Ixodes ricinus ticks are one of the most important vectors and reservoirs of infectious diseases in Europe, and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is one of the most dangerous human diseases transmitted by these vectors. The aim of the present study was to investigate the TBE incidence in some European countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. To this end, we analyzed the data published by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and Eurostat on the number of reported TBE and COVID-19 cases in 2020 and TBE cases in 2015–2019 (reference period). Significant differences in the TBE incidence were found between the analyzed countries. The highest TBE incidence was found in Lithuania (25.45/100,000 inhabitants). A high TBE incidence was also observed in Central European countries. In 12 of the 23 analyzed countries, there was significant increase in TBE incidence during the COVID-19 pandemic during 2020 compared to 2015–2019. There was no correlation between the incidence of COVID-19 and TBE and between the availability of medical personnel and TBE incidence in the studied countries. In conclusion, Central Europe and the Baltic countries are areas with a high risk of TBE infection. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and imposed restrictions, the incidence of TBE is increasing in more than half of the analyzed countries.
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