Stahlman S.
Surveillance snapshot: Tick-borne encephalitis in military health system beneficiaries, 2012-2021
MSMR. 2022;29(5):23
TBE has been of historical military significance due to the many U.S. service members stationed in Germany, with an estimate of about 35,000 active-duty members as of September 2021. TBE is a notifiable event according to the Department of Defense reportable medical event guidelines.
In an article published in the Med Surveill Monthly Rep in 2019, the number of TBE cases from 2006 to 2018 among military service members had been reported (see Snapshot week 3/2020).
Now, an update has been conducted. In 2019, there was a probable case reported, and in 2020, one confirmed case was notified. In 2021, two probable cases have been reported. All these cases between 2019 and 2021 occurred in Germany. The number of TBE cases per 5-year period increased from 1 in 2012–2016 to 11 in 2017–2021.
This information should be considered when contemplating use of the FDA-approved TBE vaccine (see, e.g., Snapshot week 47/2021) for U.S. service members who live or participate in outdoor activities in TBE-endemic areas.