Recent establishment of tick-borne encephalitis foci with distinct viral lineages in the Helsinki area, Finland

Abstract

ABSTRACT Number of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) cases has increased and new foci have emerged in Finland during the last decade. We evaluated risk for locally acquired TBE in the capital region inhabited by 1.2 million people. We screened ticks and small mammals from probable places of TBE virus (TBEV) transmission and places without reported circulation. The TBEV positive samples were sequenced and subjected to phylogenetic analysis. Within the study period 2007–2017, there was a clear increase of both all TBE cases and locally acquired cases in the Helsinki area. The surveillance of ticks and small mammals for TBEV confirmed four distinct TBEV foci in the Helsinki area. All detected TBEV strains were of the European subtype. TBEV genome sequences indicated that distinct TBEV lineages circulate in each focus. Molecular clock analysis suggested that the virus lineages were introduced to these foci decades ago. In conclusion, TBE has emerged in the mainland of Helsinki area during the last decade, with at least four distinct virus lineages independently introduced into the region previously. Although the overall annual TBE incidence is below the threshold for recommending general vaccinations, the situation requires further surveillance to detect and prevent possible further emergence of local TBE clusters.