The clinical picture of chronic tick-borne encephalitis in children

According to data collected in Western Siberia over the past 20 years, tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) in 1.7% of patients becomes chronic. In the acute period, the disease in such cases usually progresses in the form of meningoencephalitis. This study concerns 44 clinical cases of chronic TBE in children of 5−14 years of age. All patients underwent comprehensive clinical and laboratory examination, and the diagnosis in each case was confirmed by serological tests. The hyperkinetic syndrome was the main manifestation of chronic TBE in 38 patients (86%). Among them, Kozhevnikoff's epilepsy was diagnosed in 35 patients (80%). The incidence of chronic TBE in Kemerovo region (the south of Western Siberia) remains unchanged, notwithstanding recent progress in its diagnosis and treatment. This emphasizes the necessity of more effective measures to prevent TBE and, in particular, large-scale vaccination of children living in the foci of this infection.