Abstract

Since 2017, cases of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) in Europe have been on the rise; in 2023, a record number of TBE fatalities (3.3%) were registered in Estonia, along with the highest number of cases in the past 12 years (15.6 per 100,000 population). Most infections progress asymptomatically, while symptomatic cases may develop meningitis, less frequently meningoencephalitis, or
meningoencephalomyelitis. Residual symptoms persist in nearly half of patients upon recovery. Factors predicting a severe course of the disease include advanced age, male sex, comorbidities (such as hypertension), being immunocompromised, monophasic disease course, and low serum IgG levels at disease onset. No specific treatment for TBE exists; the best preventive measure is
TBE vaccination. In 2023, Tartu University Hospital received 50 patients with TBE, of whom 42 required hospitalisation; among them were several patients with severe neurological findings. After analysing five such clinical cases, it was found that all exhibited at least one factor predicting a severe disease course.