Acute tick-borne encephalitis during pregnancy - An alarming combination

Abstract

We report on a pregnant patient who contracted tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) during her second trimester in an endemic region in Southern Germany. The patient presented with typical symptoms including fever and headache, and TBE infection was confirmed by positive blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) testing. During acute infection there was no evidence of pregnancy complications, and the mother recovered well. We performed a clinical follow-up examination of both mother and child eight months after the diagnosis of TBE, which revealed no signs of sequelae. This case study presents rare evidence of TBE infection during pregnancy and may provide guidance for both physicians as well as mothers-to-be dealing with TBE.

Keywords: Outcome; Pregnancy; Tick-borne encephalitis.