Tick-borne encephalitis virus seroprevalence and infection incidence in Switzerland, 2020–2021
The result's identifiers
Result code in IS VaVaI
<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00027162%3A_____%2F25%3AN0000027" target="_blank" >RIV/00027162:_____/25:N0000027 - isvavai.cz</a>
Result on the web
<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-92560-1" target="_blank" >https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-92560-1</a>
DOI - Digital Object Identifier
<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-92560-1" target="_blank" >10.1038/s41598-025-92560-1</a>
Alternative languages
Result language
angličtina
Original language name
Tick-borne encephalitis virus seroprevalence and infection incidence in Switzerland, 2020–2021
Original language description
Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) infection can manifest as disease of variable severity, ranging from subclinical infection to severe disease with neurological involvement and potentially fatal outcome. Although TBE is recognized as a major public health problem in Europe, the true burden of disease is potentially underestimated. Here, we investigated TBEV-specific antibody prevalence, infection incidence, and seroreversion and antibody decline rates in a prospective Swiss healthcare worker (HCW) cohort. We screened serum samples from 1444 HCWs between June and October 2020, and from a subset again between August and September 2021, using a TBEV envelope (E) protein IgG ELISA. Positive samples underwent further analysis with a TBEV non-structural protein 1 (NS1) IgG ELISA, and seroconversions in unvaccinated individuals were confirmed by seroneutralization testing. Questionnaire data were used to determine vaccination status and risk factors. TBEV E protein-specific IgG prevalence was 72.1% (95% CI 68.2-75.7%) in TBEV-vaccinated and 6% (95% CI 4.4-7.8%) in unvaccinated individuals. The estimated annual incidence of infection was 735/100,000. Age was the only factor significantly associated with seroprevalence. The seroreversion rate in unvaccinated individuals was 30.3% within one year, which is almost ten times higher than in vaccinated individuals (3.4%, annual decline rate 8.0%). NS1-specific IgG antibodies were six times more common in vaccinated than unvaccinated HCWs. In conclusion, undetected TBEV infections are common, and infection incidence is much higher than reported clinical cases. Individuals with abortive infections have high antibody decline and seroreversion rates. Whether lifelong protection is conferred and by which immune subsets remain unclear.
Czech name
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Czech description
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Classification
Type
J<sub>imp</sub> - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database
CEP classification
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OECD FORD branch
10607 - Virology
Result continuities
Project
<a href="/en/project/NU21-05-00143" target="_blank" >NU21-05-00143: Hidden zoonoses - uncovering new pathogenic agents from wildlife</a><br>
Continuities
P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)
Others
Publication year
2025
Confidentiality
S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů
Data specific for result type
Name of the periodical
Scientific Reports
ISSN
2045-2322
e-ISSN
2045-2322
Volume of the periodical
15
Issue of the periodical within the volume
1
Country of publishing house
DE - GERMANY
Number of pages
13
Pages from-to
"8346"
UT code for WoS article
001442602500006
EID of the result in the Scopus database
2-s2.0-105000042988