What is Tick-Borne Encephalitis?

Tick-borne encephalitis is a viral illness that occurs most commonly in Europe. This is normally transmitted due to a tick bite, and it doesn’t actually matter how long the tick stays attached. The virus can ultimately attack an individual’s nervous system, but sometimes the person’s body fights it off before that can happen. A fairly large number of cases lead to lifelong nervous system problems, and a much smaller number lead to death.

This disorder typically attacks an individual in two distinctive phases. The first phase generally has symptoms similar to a mild case of influenza. In many cases, it can be so mild that people will not seek medical attention, and even when they do, doctors may not recognize it as anything particularly serious. After the initial phase, there is a remission phase that lasts about a week, and then the next phase of the tick-borne encephalitis strikes, which is when the nervous system damage actually occurs. In more than half the cases, the virus is short-circuited before the second phase can ever happen.

In the cases where tick-borne encephalitis does manage to attack the nervous system, it typically happens in a few different ways. There is usually either brain swelling or inflammation around the spinal cord or both. Symptoms can range from paralysis and numbness to loss of motor control and eventual cognitive disability. In many of these cases, the damage may be permanent, and some patients do not survive. Catching it as early as possible can have a significant impact on the eventual prognosis.

Like many other viruses, it is very difficult to actually treat tick-borne encephalitis. Once a person catches it, the person's immune system is the only real way to defeat it. Doctors usually focus on trying to reduce the severity of the symptoms. This will often involve using anti-inflammatory drugs including steroids, and sometimes these will have to be injected into a patient’s brain or spinal area directly for the best effect.

Most experts believe that the best way to deal with this disease is to prevent it. This can involve a number of different measures to keep ticks off a person’s body. For example, some people may try to avoid exposing their skin while outdoors, and others may try using various repellent sprays. People who have a particularly high risk of catching the virus because of their lifestyles may choose to be vaccinated, but there are some side effects associated with the vaccine.