Tick-borne encephalitis virus: what nurses need to know

Cases of this potentially fatal new infection have been found in the UK and while it is usually asymptomatic, patients can have serious meningitis-like reactions

Bites from ticks, small spider-like creatures that feed on blood, can spread a number of diseases.

The most common is Lyme disease, which can be treated with antibiotics. But in April the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) announced that a new disease, tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), is now likely to be present in the country following two confirmed cases in 2022.

What is tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) and when did it come to the UK?

TBEV is a virus common in ticks in many parts of the world, including parts of Europe.