Early-summer meningoencephalitis TBE

Early Summer Meningoencephalitis - ICD 10: A 84.1

In addition to the much more widespread Lyme disease, ticks also transmit the tick-borne encephalitis, known as TBE, which is much more common in the population. In contrast to Lyme disease, there have been vaccinations for this viral infection (Flavi viruses) for several years. There are also some remedies in natural medicine. a. for prophylaxis, available. The symptoms of meningitis are very characteristic of TBE, but there are many other symptoms that may easily indicate another condition. This article discusses the central European type of infection, with another Far Eastern and Siberian type also being present.

Contents:
Early-summer meningoencephalitis TBE
Synonyms
Symptoms and complaints in TBE
Causes of FSME
Naturopathy at FSME
Naturopathy at FSME
Sources and further literature

Synonyms

Early summer meningoencephalitis, early summer meningoencephalitis, TBE, early meningitis, tick, Lyme disease, flavi virus.

Symptoms and complaints in TBE

The TBE is usually characterized by 2 phases. The first phase begins after an incubation period of up to 14 days after the tick bite and lasts for 2 to 7 days.

Phase 1 is characterized by flu-like symptoms such as: Headache and body aches, fever and tiredness. This can cause discomfort in the digestive tract as well as nausea and loss of appetite. Since it can usually come after the first phase to a symptom-free period of up to 20 days, the first phase is often regarded as summer flu. The much longer lasting second phase (weeks to months) is, in addition to the new symptoms of the first phase, characterized by an involvement of the neuronal system and the symptoms of meningitis and encephalitis. Key symptoms are the above-mentioned flu-like symptoms such as dizziness, sleeplessness and light-shyness. The musculoskeletal system is characterized by joint pain and neck stiffness.

The neuronal infestation mainly shows speech disturbances, emotional disturbances, walking disturbances, paralysis of the cranial nerves and essential changes in the patient.

Other side effects can be the following:
listlessness
unconsciousness
bladder problems
body aches
Epileptic seizures
hallucinations

As a rule, with good therapy, no residual damage, but paralysis of the limbs, the face and diaphragm, as well as respiratory paralysis occur. It can also cause permanent damage to the spinal cord, liver or heart. Complications usually only occur in patients over 40 years of age when the inflammation spreads in the brain and also affects the cerebellum and hypothalamus. This infestation can cause lasting damage and even death.

Causes of FSME

The pathogen virus is the so-called flavi virus, which can cause not only the TBE but also other diseases such as dengue fever or yellow fever.

Like other diseases (Lyme disease, Tick bite fever, Q fever, Wolhynian fever), the TBE or the pathogen is mainly transmitted by ticks (tick bites). A transmission is also z. B. possible via mosquitoes. Infected intermediate farmers such as cows, sheep or goats can excrete the viruses via the milk. An interpersonal transfer of the FSME is not possible.

As often spread by the media, the FSME occurs mainly in southern Germany and Austria. It should be noted, however, that ticks can occur anywhere and also spread other diseases, such as Lyme disease. In the German endemic areas 0.1 to 5% of the ticks transmit the TBE virus, but 10 to 35% of the ticks present in Germany transmit the borreliosis.

Naturopathy at FSME

Since 2001, according to § 7 IfSG, there is a duty to report an acute TBE infection and thus according to § 24 a treatment ban for non-medical practitioners.

In conventional medicine there is the possibility of vaccination against FSME, but not against ticks per se or other diseases such as Lyme disease. Due to a viral infection, however, an antibiotic treatment is not possible with an infection, but only a symptomatic treatment.

A proof of the exciters takes place by means of a blood examination, whereby it is to be considered however with successful inoculation that thereby the antibodies in the blood are provable.

In nosode therapy, in addition to some prophylactic agents, potencies are also available for the treatment of long-term suffering from TBE. After having undergone FSME, there is usually lifelong immunity. (Ay)

Picture credits: Echino / pixelio.de

Sources and further literature

Tick ​​bites, diseases and treatment options, Elfie Fust, ISBN: 3-927016351a2cc0b08c03Koch-Institut: www.rki.de