Scaggiante et al.
Incidence, healthcare resource utilization and costs of hospitalized patients with tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) in Italy. Ticks Tick Borne Dis. 2024;15(6):102372. doi: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102372.
Italy is generally considered a low-risk country for tick-borne encephalitis (TBE); however, certain pre-alpine and alpine regions in northern Italy are notably affected by the TBE virus. A retrospective observational study, using data from the Italian Ministry of Health’s Hospital Discharge Record (HDR) database, was conducted to analyze trends and characteristics of TBE hospitalizations in Italy from 2015 to 2019.
Over this period, 237 TBE-related hospitalizations were recorded, with an average hospital stay of 10 to 13 days. Most cases occurred from May to November, with 62% of cases involving males and the highest incidence among individuals aged 55 to 75.
Most cases were reported in northeastern Italy, particularly in the Autonomous Provinces of Trento and South Tyrol, as well as in the regions of Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia. The Autonomous Province of Trento had the highest hospitalization rate, increasing from 11.16 per million inhabitants in 2015 to 42.30 per million in 2019. The cumulative national cost for TBE hospitalizations over the study period amounted to €1,627,194.
The study concluded that, although the overall incidence of TBE in Italy is relatively low, the health and economic impact in affected areas can be significant.