TBE in Serbia

Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) was first isolated in the former Yugoslavia in 1953 from the blood of infected human patients in Slovenia.1 The virus was isolated from ticks in 1954, also in Slovenia.2 Thereafter a number of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) foci were registered in the western part of the country, while in the Republic of Serbia such foci were not registered. In the period following 1969, no new infections with TBEV could be confirmed in the Republic of Serbia through the routine serological testing of samples from more than 1,000 patients with clinical signs of meningitis and encephalitis, as conducted in laboratories of the Institute of Immunobiology and Virology “Torlak” in Belgrade.3

Author(s):  
Vladimir Petrović ◽  
Elizabeta Ristanović ◽  
Aleksandar Potkonjak

Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) was first isolated in the former Yugoslavia in 1953 from the blood of infected human patients in Slovenia.1 The virus was isolated from ticks in 1954, also in Slovenia.2 Thereafter a number of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) foci were registered in the western part of the country, while in the Republic of Serbia such foci were not registered. In the period following 1969, no new infections with TBEV could be confirmed in the Republic of Serbia through the routine serological testing of samples from more than 1,000 patients with clinical signs of meningitis and encephalitis, as conducted in laboratories of the Institute of Immunobiology and Virology “Torlak” in Belgrade.3


Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 1775
Author(s):  
Theresa Maria Conze ◽  
Zoltán Bagó ◽  
Sandra Revilla-Fernández ◽  
Jürgen Schlegel ◽  
Lutz S. Goehring ◽  
...  

A final diagnosis in a horse with clinical signs of encephalopathy can be challenging despite the use of extensive diagnostics. Clinical signs are often not pathognomonic and need to be interpreted in combination with (specific) laboratory results and epidemiological data of the geographical region of the origin of the case(s). Here we describe the diagnostic pathway of tick-borne encephalitis virus infection in two horses using established molecular diagnostic methods and a novel in situ hybridization technique to differentiate between regionally important/emerging diseases for central Europe: (i) hepatoencephalopathy, (ii) Borna disease virus, and (iii) West Nile virus infections.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 (4) ◽  
pp. 31-37
Author(s):  
Александр Санин ◽  
Aleksandr Sanin ◽  
Александр Наровлянский ◽  
Aleksandr Narovlyanskiy ◽  
Александр Пронин ◽  
...  

Phosphorylated polyprenols-based medicines are known to inhibit the reproduction of viruses in vitro, as well as exert therapeutic effect in experimental viral infections and viral diseases of pets. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of Gamapren (GP), the active ingredient of which are phosphorylated polyprenols isolated from mulberry leaves, on the production of key regulatory cytokines (CT) ― interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), interleukin-10 (IL-10) and interleukin-12 (IL-12) in experimental infection caused by tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), Absettarov strain, in mice. The levels of CT production in the serum of mice was determined by ELISA using commercial sets of firms «Genzyme» and «BioSource» (USA) according to the instructions for use. Infection of mice with TBEV led to the development of acute lethal infection. In the control life expectancy was 8.4 days. Under the action of GP, which was administered 3 and 2 days before infection of mice TBEV, life expectancy increased to 10.9 days, and in the case when GP was administered 3 days before and simultaneously with TBEV, life expectancy increased to 12.5 days. In TBEV-infected mice an increase in serum levels of IFN-γ was recorded on day 4 and 7. On the contrary, GP stimulated the production of IFN-γ at 48 hours. When GP was inoculated simultaneously with TBEV, the level of IFN-γ in blood serum increased on the 3rd and 7th day. When studying the content of IL-10 and IL-12 in the serum of mice, it was shown that in intact mice GP stimulated the content of IL-12 at all stages of the experiment, except for 4 and 10 days. The level of IL-10 did not change throughout the experience, not exceeding the control. To the contrary, in TBEV-infected mice stimulation of IL-12 production was revealed att the 5th (in the second half of the incubation period), 9-th and 10-th day (the period of TBE clinical signs) after infection. The level of IL-10 was increased by 1-st (12.6-fold), 7th and 8th day after infection, tick-borne encephalitis virus (5.6 and 7.2-fold, respectively). In mice simultaneously inoculated with GP and TBEV, the most significant stimulation of IL-12 production was observed at 4th, 5th, 9th and 10th days. IL-10 production was found only at day 3 following GP and TBEV inoculation. At all other stages of the study, IL-10 levels did not exceed the benchmark. Thus, GP inoculated to the TBEV-infected mice stimulates the early production of IFN-γ and IL-12, which may act as one of the key mechanisms of GP antiviral activity. Viruses have the ability to disrupt the balanced development of Th1/Th 2 immune response needed to form an effective antiviral immunity, and GP stimulating the production of key cytokines providing a balanced formation of Th1 and Th2 immune response is able to restore this necessary balance. This property of GP in combination with direct antiviral action, apparently, also provides protection against a virus infection.


Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 2039
Author(s):  
Jiri Salat ◽  
Milan Hunady ◽  
Pavel Schanilec ◽  
Petra Strakova ◽  
Michal Stefanik ◽  
...  

Dogs are frequently infected with the tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV). However, to date, only a few clinically manifest cases of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) have been reported in dogs. In this study, three-month-old beagle dogs were infected with TBEV through a subcutaneous injection. Body temperature, clinical signs, blood haematology, blood biochemistry, and immune responses were monitored for up to 28 days postinfection (p.i.). No changes in body temperature or clinical signs were observed in the infected dogs. Most haematology and blood biochemistry parameters were unchanged after the infection, except for a slight reduction in blood lymphocyte counts, but they were within the physiological range. Low-titre viraemia was detected in 2/4 infected dogs between days 1 and 3 p.i. All infected dogs developed a robust immune response, in terms of neutralising antibodies. Thus, TBEV infections lead to effective seroconversion in dogs. Next, to assess TBEV exposure in dogs in the TBEV-endemic region of the Czech Republic, we conducted a serosurvey. Virus neutralisation tests revealed TBEV-specific antibodies in 17 of 130 (13.07%) healthy dogs, which confirmed a high, but clinically inappreciable TBEV exposure rate in the endemic area. The seropositivity rate was similar (12.7%; 41 positives out of 323) in a subgroup of dogs with various clinical disorders, and it was 13.4% (23 out of 171) in a subgroup of dogs with signs of acute neurological disease. Two dogs with fatal acute meningoencephalitis showed positive results for TBEV-specific IgM and IgG antibodies. These data extended our understanding of the clinical presentation of TBEV infections.


Author(s):  
Vladimir Petrović ◽  
Elizabeta Ristanović ◽  
Aleksandar Potkonjak

Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) was first isolated in the former Yugoslavia in 1953 from the blood of infected human patients in Slovenia.


Viruses ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 1069 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelitsch ◽  
Tews ◽  
Klaus ◽  
Bestehorn-Willmann ◽  
Dobler ◽  
...  

Tick-borne encephalitis is the most important tick-transmitted zoonotic virus infection in Eurasia, causing severe neurological symptoms in humans. The causative agent, the tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), circulates between ticks and a variety of mammalian hosts. To study the interaction between TBEV and one of its suspected reservoir hosts, bank voles of the Western evolutionary lineage were inoculated subcutaneously with either one of eight TBEV strains or the related attenuated Langat virus, and were euthanized after 28 days. In addition, a subset of four strains was characterized in bank voles of the Carpathian linage. Six bank voles were inoculated per strain, and were housed together in groups of three with one uninfected in-contact animal each. Generally, most bank voles did not show any clinical signs over the course of infection. However, one infected bank vole died and three had to be euthanized prematurely, all of which had been inoculated with the identical TBEV strain (Battaune 17-H9, isolated in 2017 in Germany from a bank vole). All inoculated animals seroconverted, while none of the in-contact animals did. Viral RNA was detected via real-time RT-PCR in the whole blood samples of 31 out of 74 inoculated and surviving bank voles. The corresponding serum sample remained PCR-negative in nearly all cases (29/31). In addition, brain and/or spine samples tested positive in 11 cases, mostly correlating with a positive whole blood sample. Our findings suggest a good adaption of TBEV to bank voles, combining in most cases a low virulence phenotype with detectable virus replication and hinting at a reservoir host function of bank voles for TBEV.


2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (7) ◽  
pp. 754-760 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabian H. Weissbach ◽  
Hans H. Hirsch

ABSTRACTDespite the availability of protective vaccines, tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) infections have been increasingly reported to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control in the past 2 decades. Since the diagnosis of TBEV exposure relies on serological testing, we compared two commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), i.e., Immunozym FSME IgG assay (ELISA-1) and Euroimmun FSME Vienna IgG assay (ELISA-2). Both assays use whole TBEV antigens, but they differ in viral strains (Neudoerfl for ELISA-1 and K23 for ELISA-2) and cutoff values. In testing of samples from 398 healthy blood donors, ELISA-1 showed higher reactivity levels than ELISA-2 (P< 0.001), suggesting different assay properties. This finding was supported by Bland-Altman analysis of the optical density at 450 nm (OD450) (mean bias, +0.32 [95% limits of agreement, −0.31 to +0.95]) and persisted after transformation into Vienna units. Concordant results were observed for 276 sera (69%) (44 positive and 232 negative results). Discordant results were observed for 122 sera (31%); 15 were fully discordant, all being ELISA-1 positive and ELISA-2 negative, and 107 were partially discordant (101 being ELISA-1 indeterminate and ELISA-2 negative and 6 having positive or indeterminate reactivity in both ELISAs). Neutralization testing at a 1:10 dilution yielded positive results for 33 of 44 concordant positive sera, 1 of 15 fully discordant sera, and 1 of 33 partially discordant sera. Indirect immunofluorescence testing revealed high antibody titers of ≥100 for yellow fever virus in 18 cases and for dengue virus in one case, suggesting that cross-reactivity contributed to the ELISA-1 results. We conclude that (i) cross-reactivity among flaviviruses remains a limitation of TBEV serological testing, (ii) ELISA-2 revealed reasonable sensitivity and specificity for anti-TBEV IgG population screening of human sera, and (iii) neutralization testing is most specific and should be reserved for selective questions.


2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 138-142
Author(s):  
E. V. Silchenko ◽  
L. M. Oshorova ◽  
I. Ts. Balzhinimaeva ◽  
E. I. Bondarenko ◽  
N. A. Dasheeva ◽  
...  

The article is devoted to the study of vector-borne pathogens circulating in the Republic of Buryatia. The authors have carried out  identification of the genetic material of tick-borne encephalitis virus,  Borrellia burgdorferi, Borrellia miуamotoi, Coxiella burnetii and  Rickettsia sibirica in various samples of biological material. The  object of the study were whole blood, leukocyte fraction and blood  serum of patients admitted to the hospital in a state of fever that  occurred after sucking of the tick, as well as mites brought by the  population. A detailed analysis of the data showed that 11.7 % (9  out of 70) of the clinical material samples and 17.8 % (50 out of  281) of the tick samples had genetic markers of tick-borne  pathogens. In the material from the patients, the RNA of tick-borne  encephalitis virus was most often determined, and in the DNA of  Borrellia burgdorferi mites. In addition, the authors first confirmed  the etiologic role of Borrellia miуamotoi in the development of cases  of Lyme disease in the Republic. An unexpected finding was the  detection of Coxiella burnetii DNA in ticks and in clinical material. In  the Republic of Buryatia Q-fever was detected by laboratory  diagnostics for the first time. This fact confirms the circulation of this pathogen in the region. In this regard, the authors conducted a  retrospective analysis of the medical histories of patients who were found to have genetic markers of Q-fever.


Author(s):  
Joon Young Song

Although no human case of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) has been documented in South Korea to date, surveillance studies have been conducted to evaluate the prevalence of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) in wild ticks.


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