With effect from 1 March, doctors must report every patient with tick-borne encephalitis with neurological symptoms to the Municipal Public Health Service (GGD). Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is transmitted by ticks and can cause meningitis. The disease is still rare in the Netherlands, but it is becoming more common in a number of other European countries. The duty to report will help to monitor the spread of TBE in the Netherlands.
What is TBE?
TBE is a viral disease that is transmitted by the bite of a tick that carries the virus. Most people will not suffer any symptoms from the virus, or only mild symptoms, such as fever and muscle ache. In rare cases, it can cause encephalitis or meningitis. This can cause severe, lasting damage. There is no medicine for TBE.
The risk of TBE causing serious disease is very small. Since 2016, around two to five cases of TBE have been reported each year.
What does a duty to report entail?
An infectious disease with a duty to report is a disease that entails a risk to public health. If a doctor or lab identifies an infection, they must report this to the GGD. The GGD can then take measures to protect others. The GGD will also pass on any reports received to RIVM. This will allow RIVM to monitor the spread of the disease better.
Why is there now a duty to report for TBE?
With this duty to report, RIVM wants to gain a more complete overview of the number of people with TBE and find out if there are risk areas for TBE in the Netherlands. TBE has been present in other countries, such as Sweden, Germany and Austria, for a longer period of time. The virus was first identified in a Dutch patient in 2016.
How to protect yourself against TBE
Most people are not at risk of contracting TBE. However, you should take measures to protect yourself if you spend a lot of time in green spaces for activities such as hiking, camping or gardening. Use tick repellent and wear clothing that covers the skin. Check your body for ticks after you have been out in nature or have worked in the garden.
If you work in green spaces or are regularly bitten by ticks, or you regularly go out in nature in a country where TBE occurs more often than in the Netherlands, you can get vaccinated. Your employer, the GGD or a vaccination clinic can advise you on this.
What you can do in case of a tick bite
Always check your body for tick bites after you have been out in nature. Watch out for symptoms such as fever, problems with joints or muscle ache in the weeks after a tick bite. This can be a sign of TBE or Lyme disease. Contact your GP and report that you have been bitten by a tick. This will allow your GP to take the right steps.