Page 403 - TBE_Book_V2_2019

Chapter 12b

TBE in Slovenia

Zoran Simonović and Tamara Vuković Janković

History and Current Situation

TBE is endemic in Slovenia, and the incidence TBE virus is present in all Slovenian regions.
rate is one of the highest in the EU. In Although some regions in Slovenia have higher
Slovenia, TBE virus was confirmed for the first incidence of TBE than others, TBE occurs
time in the year 1953 with isolation of the throughout the country, with the most
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virus from a patient’s blood. In 1955, the affected areas in the north and central regions
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virus was isolated from a tick Ixodes ricinus. (Figure 1). In some administrative units
average annual TBE incidence rates exceed
Notification of TBE cases as well as deaths due 45/100,000 (Figure 2).
to TBE has been mandatory in Slovenia since
1977. Only cases with central nervous system TBE infections occur seasonally, in Slovenia
involvement and laboratory confirmation are mostly between April and November, with a
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notified. Surveillance data has been collected peak in June and July. In recent years an
within the communicable diseases surveillance increase of the cases in the elderly has been
system by the National Institute of Public observed. Since 1994, TBE incidence rates
Health of Slovenia (NIPH). have been the highest in the 55–64 age group
in most years, with males being more
The number of TBE reported cases in Slovenia frequently affected than women. In men, 65–
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varies every year. In the period from 1983 to 74 age group and in women 45–54 age group
2016, the number of yearly reported TBE cases followed, with the second highest rates in
was between 62 and 531 (incidence rates most years. In contrast to the TBE incidence,
between 3.0 and 26.6/100,000), which the disease burden expressed in DALYs was
amounts to the mean of 206 cases/year, and higher in children aged 5–14 years than in
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mean annual incidence rate of 10.3/100,000. adults aged 50–74 years.
In contrast to reports on increasingly higher
incidence rates of TBE during the last two People who are staying in the endemic areas
decades from many endemic countries, in (temporarily or permanently) have a higher
Slovenia the reported incidence rates during risk for TBE infection. These are mainly people
the last 35 years have shown no apparent working in forestry, wood and wood-
increasing or decreasing trend. Occurrence of processing industry and construction. The risk
the disease presumably fluctuates due to is also higher among farmers, if their farm-
climatic factors influencing tick activity and lands are located near forested areas, which
population number of small forest mammals, present a natural habitat for ticks. There have
different weather conditions during summer also been observations of increased TBE inci-
months in different years and other possible dence among people who visit forests for
factors (e.g. changes in leisure activities) that recreational purpose or forest fruit-picking. An
have not been investigated yet. epidemiological study that included 1,564
cases of TBE in Slovenia showed that 82.3% of
cases had a tick bite on one or multiple sites

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