The present report is concerned with the emerging infection of tick-borne encephalitis in the Netherlands — the two first endemic cases occurring in July 2016 — in the larger context of a widespread and increasing incidence of lyme borreliosis.
ECDC will start monitoring disease distribution in the EU and collecting EU data through the epidemiological surveillance network comprising the European Commission, ECDC and national authorities for epidemiological surveillance.
Borreliosis, also known as Lyme disease, is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected ticks. If left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the nervous system. Most cases of Borreliosis can be treated successfully with a few weeks of antibiotics. No vaccine against Borreliosis is currently available.