Risk of Exposure

TBE is an important infectious disease in many parts of Europe, the Former Soviet Union, and Asia, corresponding to the distribution of the ixodid tick reservoir. The annual number of cases (incidence) varies from year to year, but several thousand cases are reported annually, despite historical under-reporting of this disease.

In disease endemic areas, people with recreational or occupational exposure to rural or outdoor settings (e.g., hunters, campers, forest workers, farmers) are potentially at risk for infection by contact with the infected ticks. Furthermore, as tourism expands, travel to areas of endemicity broadens the definition of who is at risk for TBE infection.