Incidence of Tick-Borne Encephalitis during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Selected European Countries

Abstract

Ixodes ricinus ticks are one of the most important vectors and reservoirs of infectious diseases in Europe, and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is one of the most dangerous human diseases transmitted by these vectors. The aim of the present study was to investigate the TBE incidence in some European countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. To this end, we analyzed the data published by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and Eurostat on the number of reported TBE and COVID-19 cases in 2020 and TBE cases in 2015–2019 (reference period). Significant differences in the TBE incidence were found between the analyzed countries. The highest TBE incidence was found in Lithuania (25.45/100,000 inhabitants). A high TBE incidence was also observed in Central European countries. In 12 of the 23 analyzed countries, there was significant increase in TBE incidence during the COVID-19 pandemic during 2020 compared to 2015–2019. There was no correlation between the incidence of COVID-19 and TBE and between the availability of medical personnel and TBE incidence in the studied countries. In conclusion, Central Europe and the Baltic countries are areas with a high risk of TBE infection. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and imposed restrictions, the incidence of TBE is increasing in more than half of the analyzed countries.