{"version":"1.0","provider_name":"TBE Book","provider_url":"https:\/\/tbenews.com\/tbe","author_name":"IT","author_url":"https:\/\/tbenews.com\/tbe\/author\/brianong\/","title":"Tunisia - TBE Book","type":"rich","width":600,"height":338,"html":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"pxpGyZxePx\"><a href=\"https:\/\/tbenews.com\/tbe\/13-34-9\/\">Tunisia<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/tbenews.com\/tbe\/13-34-9\/embed\/#?secret=pxpGyZxePx\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" title=\"&#8220;Tunisia&#8221; &#8212; TBE Book\" data-secret=\"pxpGyZxePx\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/tbenews.com\/tbe\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>\n","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/tbenews.com\/tbe\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/2022-Tunisia-banner.jpg","thumbnail_width":1180,"thumbnail_height":250,"description":"TBE in Tunisia Elyes Zhioua ECDC risk status: imperiled (last edited in June 2026, update for 2024 and 2025: no data) History and current situation Ixodes ricinus is principally located in oak forests, in humid to semi-humid microclimatic zones in Northwestern Tunisia.1 While I. ricinus is considered the main vector of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) in Europe, no reports concerning this arbovirus have been reported from North African countries. To date no human cases of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) have been reported in Tunisia. Ticks were collected from the oak forest of EL Jouza, located in Northwestern Tunisia, by flagging and from grazing cattle during the period from November 2015 through February 2016, a period corresponding to the peak activity of only adult I. ricinus in Tunisia. I. ricinus was the most dominant tick species during winter. TBEV was detected in a pool of engorged I. ricinus collected from grazing cattle yielding a minimum field detection rate of 0.1%.2 The European subtype (TBE-EU) was detected. A serological survey was performed on grazing cattle where ticks were collected. Of a total of 96 sera tested by ELISA, no positive sera were detected. Recently, a cross-sectional study performed on sheep (N = 289) from Northern Tunisia showed that one sera was tested positive by sero-neutralization test, leading to an overall antibody prevalence of 0.38%.3 Despite the fact that no human TBE cases have been reported in Tunisia, the aforementioned results provide strong evidence that TBE is endemic in Northwestern Tunisia. To assess the risk of TBE, serological studies on Tunisian populations at high-risk such as farmers and forestry workers and active surveillance in Northwestern Tunisia are urgently needed. Overview of TBE in Tunisia Table 1: Virus, vector, transmission of TBE in Tunisia Viral subtypes, distribution Far Eastern subtype (TBEV-FE) Reservoir animals Information not available Infected tick species (%) I. ricinus Dairy product transmission Not documented Table 2: TBE-reporting and vaccine prevention in Tunisia Mandatory TBE reporting Not mandatory Other TBE-surveillance Not applicable Special clinical features Information not available Available vaccines Not applicable Vaccination recommendations and reimbursement No recommendations Vaccine uptake by age group\/ risk group\/ general population Data not available Name, address\/website of TBE National Reference Center Not available Update for 2025: No data Burden of TBE in Tunisia over time: no data available Age and gender distribution of TBE in Tunisia: no&nbsp;data available TBEV-isolation and TBE cases in Tunisia: no reported cases of TBE in the country Contact Elyes Zhiouaelyes.zhioua@gmail.com Author Elyes Zhioua Citation Zhioua E. TBE in Tunisia. Chapter 13. In: Dobler G, Erber W, Br\u00f6ker M, Schmitt HJ, eds. The TBE Book. 9th ed. Singapore: Global Health Press; 2026. doi:10.33442\/26613980_13-34-9 References"}