Tick-borne viral encephalitis: 11 cases in Vicenza province

The latest Bulletin from the Veneto region on Arbovirus Surveillance reports 11 cases of tick-borne viral encephalitis in the province of Vicenza, Italy. Tick-Borne Encephalitis (TBE) is a type of meningoencephalitis spread by ticks infected with a virus belonging to the Flavivirus genus. It is an acute viral infection that mainly targets the central nervous system, and as of now, there is no completely effective treatment available. The prevalence of such a large number of cases in a circumscribed and sparsely inhabited territory would be indicative of a high endemic disease burden, according to the WHO’s classification criteria. To minimise the risk of TBE, the regional health authorities have devised a complimentary vaccination programme for individuals belonging to specific risk categories, including Alpine Rescue volunteers and Civil Protection volunteers.