Kein Frühsommer-Meningoenzephalitis-Virus in etwa 4.500 Zecken aus ganz Luxemburg nachgewiesen

• OH4Surveillance
• Klinische und Angewandte Virologie

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Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is one of the most common and most widely distributed tick-borne infections in Europe (link). Until recently, it has been associated mostly with Central and Eastern Europe and to date, there have been no reported autochthonous cases in Luxembourg. However, the virus causing this disease is expanding its geographical range and countries such as Belgium, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom are now classified as affected countries (link). Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is primarily transmitted between small mammals by Ixodes ricinus ticks, which are widely abundant in Luxembourg (link), but can also infect humans with potentially severe disease including neurological sequelae.

To ensure early detection of TBEV in Luxembourg, surveillance has been implemented in the country in the context of the EU co-funded OH4Surveillance project (2024-2026). In an earlier report, we describe the investigation of 510 Dermacentor reticulatus ticks, kindly provided by the Luxembourg National Museum of Natural History, for TBEV (link).

In 2025, we collected about 4500 ticks from 41 rural, suburban and urban areas across Luxembourg, which are frequently visited by the public. Subsequently we screened the ticks for TBEV, but the pathogen was not detected in any of the ticks. However, the absence of the virus in sampled ticks does not necessarily indicate its absence in the country. TBEV prevalence can be very low and localized, making detection challenging without extensive sampling. Continued screening is therefore necessary and should be extended to other types of samples including those taken from wild animals.

Disclaimer
This activity is supported by co-funding from the European Union’s EU4Health programme under Grant Agreement Nr 101132473 OH4Surveillance.
Views and opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or HaDEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.