What is Tick-borne meningoencephalitis? Tick-borne meningoencephalitis is a viral infection that damages the central nervous system or the CNS as well as the protective membrane that surrounds the brain and the spinal cord. It can also affect the spinal fluid and cause short to long-term paralysis. It is a debilitating disease that can result in death in some extreme cases, unless treated adequately.
There is no direct treatment for the Tick-borne meningoencephalitis virus, basically meaning that no cure has yet to be found for the virus. Like many infectious diseases of this particular caliber, the only thing that an infected individual may do is treat the symptoms of the disease and allow the immune system to focus on the virus instead of the symptoms caused by the virus. Treatment basically depends on the symptoms of the disease.
There is a vaccination, however, this must be administered before the virus is contracted, once the virus bonds with bacteria in the body as well as the central nervous system, the vaccination is useless against it. Also, because the materials needed for the vaccination are rare and the vaccination itself is expensive and time consuming to create, it is reserved for priority citizens unless a non priority citizen is able to pay for the entire vaccination which can be extraordinarily expensive. Priority citizens include all people living in Tick-borne meningoencephalitis endemic areas as well as soldiers, forestry workers and specialist physicians.
A booster shot is also available which is less expensive and easier to come by than the full vaccination, however, it does not fully protect against Tick-borne meningoencephalitis. It only can fight the symptoms and the virus for so long and if prolonged or multiple bites from an infected tick are incurred, the booster is useless.