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Austria is still considered a TBE stronghold. The decline in the high number of cases since the 1980s is solely due to the relatively high vaccination coverage. But anyone who thinks that he or she is not at risk abroad is wrong. TBE is now being diagnosed from the forested areas of northern Eurasia through Norway to eastern France. Even in Croatia you are not safe.
Around 10.000 TBE cases are registered worldwide every year - a number that is likely to be greatly underrepresented. Protection against TBE should therefore not be taken lightly. A planned vacation is therefore a good reason to check your own TBE vaccination status - regardless of whether you are staying in Austria or thinking of a trip abroad.
Czech Republic: 710, Latvia: 240, Italy: 40. These are international TBE case numbers for the year 2022. Our neighboring countries Germany and Switzerland reported 555 and 391 cases respectively. Two TBE cases were even reported from the Netherlands, as well as TBE reports from England and Scotland. Up to 12.000 cases are registered worldwide every year. However, this number is probably only the tip of the iceberg, since in many countries TBE is not diagnosed or not sufficiently diagnosed. The virus has also been discovered in places that were previously considered TBE-free. In 2018, for example, it was found for the first time in Norway north of the 65th parallel or in other places at an altitude of up to 2.100 meters above sea level. A significant increase in the annual number of cases has been recorded in the Czech Republic, Germany and Sweden, but also in Austria for several years. Despite high vaccination rates, because the high risk of infection for unvaccinated people remains unaffected.
TBE will stay
"Since TBE occurs in nature and animals are considered a reservoir, TBE cannot be eradicated," notes Dr. Albrecht Prieler, vaccination officer at the Burgenland Medical Association. "Everyone has to protect themselves against it, because due to the transmission route via ticks - or in rare cases via unpasteurized milk products - there can never be a collective protection." The best protection can still be the TBE vaccination and the timely and get regular refresher. A simple comparison shows how well this works: Parallel to the increasing vaccination coverage, the annual number of TBE cases in Austria has fallen from up to 700 cases per year in the 1980s to the current 179 cases. At the same time, there was no such decline in our neighboring countries, the Czech Republic and Slovenia, since the vaccination coverage there is much lower than in Austria. emphasizes Prieler.
The great importance of TBE vaccination for the population can also be seen from the fact that the WHO has put TBE vaccines on the list of essential medicines. In other words, those medicines that are primarily necessary for the health of the population.
Why the virus continues to spread is still part of the research. However, various factors can at least partially explain the phenomenon: These include social factors such as changes in leisure activities, ecological factors that affect the tick population (e.g. climate change) and/or technological factors. The latter includes, among other things, better diagnostics.1 However, Prieler emphasizes: "But what you should always keep in mind: Even if in a sparsely populated area like in Finland - or maybe even in some places in Austria - no or only a few TBE Cases are reported, it does not mean that the danger for holidaymakers who hike or fish there is low. Sometimes the number of infected ticks is very high in a certain place, but the reason for the low registration is the sparse population there.”
Check (have) your vaccination card now!
"We are already in the middle of the TBE high season," says Prieler, summing up the current situation. “In about a month, many will be taking their well-deserved vacation and spending more time outdoors than usual. Irrespective of where you are going: Having an up-to-date TBE vaccination is part of preparing for your holiday. Therefore, now is the right time at the latest to take a look at the vaccination card and see whether all the necessary vaccinations are up to date.”
Incidentally, anyone who travels to more distant countries such as China or Mongolia does not need any other TBE vaccine: the vaccines are effective against all known subtypes of TBE.
