Page 429 - TBE_Book_V2_2019

Chapter 12b

TBE in Ukraine

Wilhelm Erber and Tamara Vuković Janković

History and Current Situation

Available data indicate that infection with tick- affordable for most medical institutions, these
borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is the most reported figures might highly underestimate
common arbovirus infection in Ukraine. the true extent of the disease in
1
Natural TBE foci are mainly associated with Ukraine. More recent data are unavailable,
Polissya territories (Volyn, Rivne, Zhytomyr, with unofficial reports indicating about 50
2
Kyiv, and Chernigiv area), as well as the Pre- cases annually.
Carpathian and Trans–Carpathian regions;
highly intensive circulation of TBEV was also Quite recently 8 TBEV isolates were identified
observed in the entire mountain forest zone of from ticks among 6 study sites in southern
Crimea and in Volinskij. From 1980 to 1990, Ukraine. This study confirmed TBEV-EU
about 100 patients with TBE were recorded in (European subtype) distribution in the
1,2
Crimea. southern region of Ukraine, which overlaps
with TBEV-FE (Far Eastern subtype) and TBEV-
During 2003–2010, 223 cases of TBEV- Sib (Siberian subtype), showing the hetero-
3
seropositive patients from 14 areas of Ukraine geneity of TBEV circulating in Ukraine.
were diagnosed. As diagnostic systems are not

6

Figure 1: Burden of TBE in Ukraine over time

Latest raw data can be found at https://id-ea.org/tbe/tbe12b34/#data1

424