Page 244 - TBE_Book_V2_2019

Chapter 12b

TBE in Belarus

Wilhelm Erber and Tamara Vuković Janković

History and Current Situation

Almost the entire territory of Belarus is (incidence rate, 0.19 per 100,000) to 108 in
believed to be endemic for tick-borne 2006 (1.14 per 100,000). Overall, 523 cases
encephalitis virus (TBEV), with the Central were registered in that period, which
European subtype, also known as TBEV-EU corresponds to a mean annual case number of
(Figure 1). In all, 96 counties (i.e., 71.5% of all 52.1 Based on the presence of high numbers
administrative districts) are considered to be of infected ticks, the number of reported
risk areas for tick-borne encephalitis (TBE). cases appears to be low and the true burden
The most intensive natural foci have been of TBE is likely underestimated. The annual
2
found in the western part of the country number of TBE cases in 2010 was 86.
(Brest and Grodno Area), and infections in
these areas account for an average of 40% Children aged 7–14 years represented 10–15%
1
each of the total number of reported cases of the total number of TBE cases.
1
(Figure 2).
Two alimentary outbreaks have been
In the decade from 1998 to 2007, the number reported, one in 2006 and one in 2007, with a
1
of registered cases ranged from 18 in 2002 total number of 16 persons infected.

Figure 1: Administrative territories of the Republic of Belarus where circulation
of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV/VTBE) causal agents were
identified,

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