Page 386 - TBE_Book_V2_2019

Chapter 12b

TBE in Serbia

Vladimir Petrović, Elizabeta Ristanović
and Aleksandar Potkonjak

History and Current Situation

Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) was first ticks from the area of Pešter, Sandžak-Raška in
isolated in the former Yugoslavia in 1953 from 1972, which was identified as a species of the
the blood of infected human patients in Western subtype TBEV have clearly shown the
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Slovenia. The virus was isolated from ticks in existence of hot spots – active foci of tick-
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1954, also in Slovenia. Afterward, in the borne encephalitis in the Republic of Serbia.
western part of the country a number of tick-

borne encephalitis (TBE) foci were registered,
while in the Republic of Serbia such foci were Overview of TBE in Serbia

not registered. In the period to follow, no new In the Republic of Serbia, TBE is subject to
infections with TBEV could be confirmed in the mandatory reporting rules under the 2004 law
Republic of Serbia through the routine sero-
protecting the population from infectious
logical testing of samples from more than diseases. That year, a single case of TBE
1,000 patients with clinical signs of meningitis disease was recorded by the Institute of Public
and encephalitis, as conducted in laboratories Health of Serbia, followed by 6 cases in 2005
of the Institute of Immunobiology and Viro- and 1 case in 2006. In 2012, the Institute of
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logy “Torlak” in Belgrade.
Public Health of Serbia reported a total of 4
cases of TBE, while in 2013 and 2014, no cases
By serological testing of 1,726 serum samples
collected in the Republic of Serbia in the of the disease were registered. In 2015, in
period from 1962 to 1969 using the method of central Serbia 4 cases of disease were register-
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hemagglutination inhibition the presence of ed; all cases were males, over 45 years old.
antibodies to TBEV was detected in 1.1–52.6%
From January 1, 2014 until October 31, 2015,
of healthy individuals. The highest percent of serum samples from 200 animals (40 dogs, 20
seropositive persons was registered in the
horses, 40 wild boars, 40 cattle, 40 roe deer,
region of Sandžak-Raška (Novi Pazar and its and 20 goats) were collected. All serum
surroundings) – 52.6%, in the area of the samples were tested using commercial all-
province of Kosovo – 37.8%, and Western
species ELISA kits (Progen Biotechnik,
Serbia – 19.4%. In the area of Banat in the Germany). Anti-TBEV IgG antibodies were
Province Vojvodina antibodies were found in found in 7 dogs (17.5%), 1 horse (5%), 5 wild
8.4% of the examined sera, while in the boars (12.5%), 1 cow (2.5%), and 1 roe deer
territory of Belgrade city registered sero- (2.5%). None of the goats tested were positive
positivity was 7.3%. In Eastern Serbia (Zaječar with regard to anti- TBEV IgG antibodies.
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and surroundings) – 3.6% samples were

seroreactive, 2.0% in Central Serbia and 1.1% At the same time, PCR method and
in the Srem area in Vojvodina. These results, sequencing confirmed the presence of the
as well as the isolation of virus from ixodid

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