Tkachenko et al.
The specificity of epizootic and epidemiological processes in natural foci of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome and tick-borne encephalitis in Russia, as the basis for the prospects of creating a combined vaccine for the prevention of these infections. Viruses. 2024;16(8):1292. doi:10.3390/v16081292
Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) ranks second only to hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS, caused by hantaviruses) among viral natural focal diseases in Russia. It was incorporated into the official registration system of the Russian Ministry of Health in 1944. Currently, more than 60 million people in Russia live in TBE-endemic areas, with 2,000 to 3,000 cases reported annually.
From 2000 to 2022, a total of 71,579 TBE cases were reported, with 28,355 cases in the European part of Russia and 43,224 in the Asian part. Among these, 1,136 cases (1.6%) were fatal. Additionally, 9,414 cases (13%) occurred in children under the age of 14.
The annual incidence rate of TBE was 5.6 per 100,000 people. Most cases were recorded during the summer months (June and July), while HFRS cases predominantly occurred during the autumn-winter period, with a total of 164,582 cases reported.
Russia is divided into 85 administrative regions, and the distribution of TBE and HFRS varies. Both diseases have been reported in 42 regions. In 18 regions, only HFRS cases were identified, while 13 regions (mostly in eastern Russia) reported only TBE cases. In 12 regions, neither TBE nor HFRS cases were detected.
A comparative epidemiological analysis of TBE and HFRS data has led the authors to conclude that a combined vaccine to prevent both diseases is warranted.