TBE in Sweden

Abstract

Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) was isolated in Sweden for the first time in 1958 from ticks and from 1 tick-borne encephalitis [TBE] patient. In 2003, Haglund and colleagues reported the isolation, the antigenic and genetic characterization of 14 TBEV strains from Swedish patients based on samples collected 1991–1994. The first serum sample, from which the TBEV was isolated, was obtained 2–10 days after onset of disease and found to be negative for anti-TBEV immunoglobulin M (IgM) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), whereas TBEV-specific IgM (and TBEV-specific immuno-globulin G/cerebrospinal fluid [IgG/CSF] activity) was demonstrated in later serum samples taken during the second phase of the disease.