Autochthonous tick-borne encephalitis in the United Kingdom: A second probable human case and local eco-epidemiological findings

Christopher T Mansbridge; Jane Osborne; Maya Holding; Matthew Dryden; Marilyn Aram; Kevin Brown; Julian Sutton

doi:10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101853

Autochthonous tick-borne encephalitis in the United Kingdom: A second probable human case and local eco-epidemiological findings

Ticks Tick Borne Dis. 2022 Jan;13(1):101853. doi: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101853. Epub 2021 Oct 10.

Authors

Christopher T Mansbridge¹, Jane Osborne², Maya Holding³, Matthew Dryden², Marilyn Aram⁴, Kevin Brown⁵, Julian Sutton⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Infection, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK. Electronic address: chris.mansbridge@uhs.nhs.uk.
² Rare and Imported Pathogens Laboratory, Public Health England, Porton Down, Wiltshire, UK.
³ Virology and Pathogenesis Group, National Infection Service, Public Health England, Porton Down, Wiltshire, UK; National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, Liverpool, UK.
⁴ Virology and Pathogenesis Group, National Infection Service, Public Health England, Porton Down, Wiltshire, UK.
⁵ Immunisation and Countermeasures Division, National Infection Service, Public Health England, Colindale, London, UK.
⁶ Department of Infection, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK.

PMID: 34670189
DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101853

Abstract

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a neurotropic flaviviral disease. TBE was previously thought to be absent from the United Kingdom. We report the second probable case of United Kingdom-acquired TBE and demonstrate deer TBE-serocomplex seropositivity in the surrounding area, providing further evidence of the presence of TBE in England.

Keywords: Deer; Epidemiological surveillance; Flavivirus; Ixodes ricinus; Tick-borne encephalitis; United Kingdom.

MeSH terms

Animals
Deer*
Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne*
Encephalitis, Tick-Borne* / epidemiology
Encephalitis, Tick-Borne* / veterinary
Humans
Ixodes*
United Kingdom / epidemiology