Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus RNA Found in Frozen Goat's Milk in a Family Outbreak

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is one of the commonest arthropod-borne viral diseases in Middle-East Europe and North Asia. The main reservoir of the virus is comprised of small rodents and domestic mammals with the common tick (Ixodes) being the usual vector. The clinical spectrum of TBE ranges from mild meningitis to severe meningoencephalomyelitis. This disease can lead to severe sequelae and has a mortality up to 2% in Europe. Even though the majority of cases are transmitted through bites of infected ticks, infections through ingestion of contaminated milk and dairy products from farms in endemic areas have been reported. We report a family outbreak of a febrile disease, initially suggestive of human-to-human infection, during the early summertime in Austria. Tick-borne encephalitis was diagnosed following consumption of unpasteurised goat's milk and the virus was subsequently detected in frozen milk samples. Although this is a rare manifestation of TBE, this case series shows that TBE should be included in the differential diagnosis of an outbreak of febrile disease, and a careful clinical history with reference to unpasteurized dairy products is crucial in order to prevent further disease spread. The best preventive measure is active immunisation of people living in, or travelling to, endemic areas.

Automated summary

Tick-borne encephalitis is a common viral disease transmitted by ticks in Middle-East Europe and North Asia. This case report from Austria highlights the importance of considering tick-borne encephalitis in the differential diagnosis of febrile diseases and the potential transmission through unpasteurized dairy products.