Pediatria pre prax 5/2021

Tick-borne encephalitis and vaccination

Tick-borne encephalitis is an inflammatory disease of the central nervous system. The course of the disease is variable in patients, from a mild course to a severe form associated with meningitis, meningoencephalitis etc. The severity of the disease increases with age. In pediatric population, infections with a subclinical or milder course are more common compared to adults. Long-term health consequences are relatively rare. However, diagnosis is complicated by the fact that tick-borne encephalitis may mimic common diseases in children. The causative agent of the tick-borne encephalitis is a virus from the Flaviviridae family, Ixodes ricinus ticks are the main vector of this virus in the Czech Republic. Although vaccination against tick-borne encephalitis is available, vaccination coverage in the Czech Republic remains low, which is an undesirable condition associated with far-reaching medical, psychosocial and economic impacts.

Keywords: tick-borne encephalitis, sheep tick, vaccination