A brief tale of two pioneering moments: Europe's first discovery of Tick-Borne Encephalitis (TBE) virus beyond the Soviet Union and the largest alimentary TBE outbreak in history

Investor logo

Warning

This publication doesn't include Faculty of Arts. It includes Faculty of Science. Official publication website can be found on muni.cz.
Authors

RŮŽEK Daniel KAUCKA Kristyna

Year of publication 2024
Type Article in Periodical
Magazine / Source Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases
MU Faculty or unit

Faculty of Science

Citation
Web https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877959X24000074
Doi http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102314
Keywords Tick -borne encephalitis; Tick -borne encephalitis virus; History; Alimentary infection; Virus discovery
Description The emergence of tick -borne encephalitis (TBE) in Europe marked several significant milestones. The discovery of TBE in Czechoslovakia in 1948, with Gallia and Krejc ˇi simultaneously isolating the TBE virus (TBEV) from human samples for the first time in Europe outside the Soviet Union, was pivotal. Subsequent TBEV isolation from ticks suggested the viral transmission via this vector. In 1951, the outbreak in Roz ˇn ˇava in Slovakia (Czechoslovakia) revealed an unexpected mode of transmission, unpasteurized milk from a local dairy, challenging existing understanding. Investigations exposed illicit practices of mixing cow's milk with goat's milk for economic gains. Laboratory research confirmed the outbreak was caused by TBEV, which was substantiated by serological analyses. This was the first and largest documented alimentary TBE outbreak in history. In this review, we delve into both published sources and unpublished archival data, offering a comprehensive understanding of these historic accomplishments and shedding light on these pivotal moments.
Related projects:

You are running an old browser version. We recommend updating your browser to its latest version.