Warden Messages
Russian Spring-Summer Encephalitis
April 2, 2007
This is a warden message for all American citizens. Please distribute it to your American citizen friends and colleagues. If you are a Warden, notify your Warden Group. If you have any questions contact us, either by e-mail, or at the following number:
Phone: (4232)30-00-70
E-mail: vladcons@state.gov
This is a reminder that April through September is the high season for tick activity in the Russian Far East. Ticks in this region can be carriers of a particular variant of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), sometimes referred to simply as TBE, or as the Far Eastern variant of TBE (TBE-FE), or alternatively as “Russian spring-summer encephalitis.” TBE is a human viral infectious disease involving the central nervous system. It is usually spread by bites from ticks that are infected with the virus. Infection also may follow consumption of raw milk from goats, sheep, or cows.
The incubation time is 7-14 days, which means it can take one to two weeks to develop symptoms after being infected. Symptoms may include fever, malaise, muscle aches, headache, nausea, and/or vomiting. After about 8 days of remission, the second phase of the disease occurs in 20 to 30% of patients and involves the central nervous system with symptoms of meningitis (e.g., fever, headache, and a stiff neck) or encephalitis (e.g., drowsiness, confusion, sensory disturbances, and/or motor abnormalities such as paralysis) or meningoencephalitis. It is fatal in only 1 to 2% of cases, however.
Immunization is recommended for people who intend to walk, camp, or work in heavily forested regions of affected areas during late spring or summer when the ticks are most active. Immunization is important particularly for those who stay in areas of heavy undergrowth. You should contact your doctor to inquire about an immunization.
If you are traveling in affected areas, whether you have been immunized or not, it is also important to:
- Keep your arms, legs and ankles covered with clothing
- Use insect repellent on exposed skin, socks and outer clothing
- Not drink unpasteurized milk
The risk of being infected from a single tick bite is small. However, you should seek medical attention if you have been bitten by a tick in the Russian Far East, as you may need to get an immunoglobulin shot to guard against developing TBE. If you are in the Vladivostok area and are bitten by a tick, you can have the tick tested at the Center of Hygiene and Epidemiology in the following location:
Virology Laboratory
3 Strelnikova Street
Tel: (4232)49-67-06
Hours: Monday through Friday 9:00 – 15:00
How to get there: Bus #58, 59,
60, 61, 62, 81; stop “Torgovyy port”
For more information on Tick-borne Encephalitis, see the CDC’s fact sheet.