Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus Infection in a Two-Year-Old Child Returning from Switzerland (July-August 2023): Is It Time for TBE Immunization of Serbian Travelers?

Verica Simin; Ognjen Ležakov; Ivana Bogdan; Dragana Mijatović; Dragana Gazibara; Lidija Popović-Dragonjić; Gordana Vijatov Đurić; Borko Milanović; Jelena Kesić; Andrea Đuretić; Ágota Ábrahám; Zsófia Lanszki; Gábor Kemenesi; Brigitta Zana; Krisztián Bányai; Zbigniew Zając; Dejan Jakimovski; Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz; Pavle Banović

doi:10.3390/pathogens13111013

Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus Infection in a Two-Year-Old Child Returning from Switzerland (July-August 2023): Is It Time for TBE Immunization of Serbian Travelers?

Pathogens. 2024 Nov 18;13(11):1013. doi: 10.3390/pathogens13111013.

Authors

Verica Simin^{1

2}, Ognjen Ležakov^{3

4}, Ivana Bogdan^{1

2}, Dragana Mijatović^{2

5}, Dragana Gazibara⁶, Lidija Popović-Dragonjić^{7

8}, Gordana Vijatov Đurić^{3

4}, Borko Milanović^{3

4}, Jelena Kesić^{3

4}, Andrea Đuretić⁴, Ágota Ábrahám⁹, Zsófia Lanszki^{9

10}, Gábor Kemenesi^{2

9

10}, Brigitta Zana⁹, Krisztián Bányai^{11

12}, Zbigniew Zając¹³, Dejan Jakimovski^{14

15

16}, Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz¹⁷, Pavle Banović^{2

18

19}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Microbiology, Pasteur Institute Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia.
² Diagnostics and Laboratory Research Task Force, Balkan Association for Vector-Borne Diseases, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia.
³ Medical Faculty of Novi Sad, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia.
⁴ Institute for Child and Youth Healthcare of Vojvodina, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia.
⁵ Department for Research & Monitoring of Rabies & Other Zoonoses, Pasteur Institute Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia.
⁶ Department of Quality Control, Pasteur Institute Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia.
⁷ Department of Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine Niš, University of Niš, 18000 Niš, Serbia.
⁸ Clinic for Infectology, University Clinical Center Niš, 18000 Niš, Serbia.
⁹ National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, 7600 Pecs, Hungary.
¹⁰ Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, 7600 Pecs, Hungary.
¹¹ Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1400 Budapest, Hungary.
¹² Molecular Medicine Research Group, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, 7600 Pécs, Hungary.
¹³ Department of Biology and Parasitology, Medical University of Lublin, Radziwiłłowska 11, 20-080 Lublin, Poland.
¹⁴ Faculty of Medicine, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, 1000 Skopje, North Macedonia.
¹⁵ Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, University Clinic for Infectious Diseases and Febrile Conditions, 1000 Skopje, North Macedonia.
¹⁶ Clinical Medicine Task Force, Balkan Association for Vector-Borne Diseases, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia.
¹⁷ Laboratoire de Santé Animale, UMR BIPAR, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, ANSES, INRAE, 94700 Maisons-Alfort, France.
¹⁸ Clinic for Lyme Borreliosis and Other Tick-Borne Diseases, Department of Prevention of Rabies and Other Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia.
¹⁹ Department of Microbiology with Parasitology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia.

Abstract

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a vaccine-preventable viral infection that poses significant public health challenges, particularly in regions where tick-borne diseases are endemic. This case report describes a 2-year-old boy with confirmed abortive TBEV infection following a tick bite during travel to Switzerland. The patient developed fever and mild symptoms but did not exhibit central nervous system involvement. The case underscores the importance of raising awareness among healthcare providers and travelers from non-endemic areas, such as Serbia, about TBE risk and the potential benefits of preventive vaccination. Strategic immunization campaigns could mitigate the public health impact of travel-related TBE.

Keywords: Ixodes ricinus; Serbia; TBEV; travel medicine; vaccination.

Publication types

Case Reports

Grants and funding

This research was funded by institutional funds of PASTEUR INSTITUTE NOVI SAD. The work of Á.Á., Z.L., G.K., B.Z. was supported by the National Research, Development and Innovation Office, grant number: RRF-2.3.1-21-2022-00010 “National Laboratory of Virology”.