Tick-borne encephalitis historical perspective
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Ilan Dock, B.S.
Overview
Incidence of tick-borne encephalitis is documented as far back as 18th century Scandinavian church records. During the early years of this discovery, the Russian Ministry of Health launched expeditions to explore incidence within the Far East. These expeditions led to the development of a successful vaccine in the 1940's. The European strain afflicted many Czechoslovakian patients until the late 1940's when a vaccine had finally been administered. Incidence since has drastically decreased with minor spikes here and there in recent history. However recent outbreaks in Hungary and the Czech Republic have been tied to the consumption of unpasteurized dairy products versus an infected tick bite.[1]
Historical Perspective
Early History
- Historically documented disease with appearances in 18th century Scandinavian church records.
- In 1931 tick-borne encephalitis was officially discovered by the Austrian physician, H.Schneider.[1]
Far East
- Far east expeditions for further discovery were organized by the Russian Ministry of Health in 1937, and continuing through 1939.
- Expeditions revealed the origin of the virus to be an I. persulcatus tick vector. At this point the virus was named Russian spring-summer encephalitis.
- Viral strains were first isolated by M.P. Chumakov and N.A. Zeitlenok in 1939.
- A vaccination had been developed by the year 1940.[1]
European
- Identification of the virus occurred a mass infection within the Volkhov Front's armies in 1942 to 1943.
- Research revealed that I.ricinus was the primary tick vector of the infection.
- Viral strains were first isolated by L. Zilber in 1946.
- Zilber noted that the virus shared many common characteristics with a common virus at the time, Louping ill virus.
- Discovery in Central Europe occurred as the virus was first isolated in central Europe from Czechoslovakia patients in 1948.
- Incidence of infection increased ten fold from 1945 to 1948 in Czechoslovakia.
- Following the isolation of the virus in Czechoslovakia, many other European countries began to isolate viral strains.
- Incidence in Europe has decreased dramatically post-development of an effective vaccination.
- Prior to vaccination, incidence rates were as high as 5,000 reported cases per year in the mid 1950's.
- By the mid 1960's to the 1970's these rates dramatically decreased to an estimated 1,000 cases per year.
- Incidence peaks occurred throughout Europe in 1999 with nearly 10,000 cases that year.
- Two more peaks occurred in 1993 and 1996 with incidence escalating from 7,500 cases per year in 1993 to nearly 11,000 cases per year in 1996.[1]
Asia
- Strains of the virus had been isolated in Northern China and Japan between the late 1940's and early 1950's.
- Recently strains have been isolated in parts of South Korea.[1]
Recent outbreaks
- An outbreak recently occurred in the Czech Republic, infecting 22 people. The outbreak was a result of infected sheep cheese consumption.
- In 2007 an outbreak occurred in Hungary, infecting 25 patients and exposing 154. The outbreak was a result of infected goat cheese consumption.[1]