engleski

Tick-borne encephalitis in eastern Croatia

92 patients treated for Tick-Borne Encephalitis (TBE) in the Department for Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Osijek, over a twenty two year period (1973-1995) were analyzed. The patients were mostly forestry workers. The appearance of the disease followed the biological activity of the tick: the largest number of affected individuals was recorded between the months of April and August. TBE in Eastern Croatia is a relatively frequent infectious disease, appearing almost every year. In a smaller number (9.8%) of cases the clinical picture was aseptic meningitis, while in the majority of our patients (90.2%) it presented as an acute meningoencephalomyelitic form. The course was relatively severe in the majority of the patients analyzed, with disturbances of consciousness (32.6%) and with transitory neurological signs (61.9%). Three patients died (3.3%) in the early phase of the disease. A monophasic course dominated. The clinical and epidemiological data were compared to the cases described in other parts of Croatia: there are regional differences in the severity of illness, the reasons for which could be in the possible, earlier hypothesized, different virus subtypes, or some other so far unknown factors.

Tick-Borne Encephalitis; Croatia; Neurological symptoms; Mortality

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