User:Mr. Ibrahem/Tick-borne encephalitis

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a viral infectious disease. Many people have no symptoms while others develop fever, tiredness, headache, and nausea. These initial symptoms last about 5 days and after a period without symptoms, may be followed by meningitis, encephalitis, or myelitis. Onset is generally about 7 days after infection. About a third of cases develop long term side effects, predominantly cognitive dysfunction.

Tick-borne encephalitis virus typically spreads to people through the bite of an infected tick and less commonly via eating unpasteurized dairy products from infected animals. Risk factors include spending time outdoors near forests. It does not spread between people. Diagnosis is confirmed based on finding specific antibodies in the cerebrospinal fluid or blood.

Prevention involves vaccination against the disease, using insect repellent, and wearing clothing to cover the skin. If infected, management involves supportive care. This may vary from rest and simple pain medication to hospitalization with breathing support. The risk of deaths varies from about 1% with the European subtype to 20% with the Far Eastern subtype.

Tick-borne encephalitis affects more than 10,000 people a year. It primarily occurs in western and northern Europe and northern and eastern Asia. In Europe, rates of disease have increased nearly 4 fold over the last three decades. Infections most commonly occur in April through November. The virus was first described in 1937. Though descriptions of possible cases occur at least as far back as the 18th century. A number of other animals including cows, goats, dogs, and bats may also be infected.