Tick borne encephalitis virus – TBEV

The determination of antibodies specific against antigens of viral tick-borne encephalitis (TBEV) is one of the tools used in the differential diagnosis of neuroinfections, such as tick-borne encephalitis, meningoencephalitis or meningoencephalomyelitis. Diagnosis of neuroinfections is based on a characteristic clinical course and serological examination. Demonstration of infection is based on the detection of specific IgM and IgG immunoglobulins by ELISA and LIA. Monitoring the dynamics of specific antibodies is very important for successful treatment.

We provide our own ELISA-VIDITEST and MONO-VIDITEST immunoenzymatic kits for testing of the detection of specific antibodies of IgG and IgM isotypes against TBEV antigens in serum / plasma / cerebrospinal fluid and monitoring the antibody response after vaccination against TBEV.

The ELISA-VIDITEST and MONO-VIDITEST anti-TBEV IgG (CSF) kits can be found to calculate the intrathecal synthesis of specific antibodies in cerebrospinal fluid. The elevated antibody levels may be a major indicator of encephalitis in the central nervous system (CNS).

An additional examination is the determination of the avidity of IgG antibodies against TBEV to distinguish the primary, previously experienced infection or the condition after vaccination. All this is made possible by our ELISA-VIDITEST anti-TBEV IgG and avidity IgG kit.

The LIA-VIDITEST Multiplex Borrelia and TBEV kits support the simultaneous detection of two infectious agents important in the diagnosis of serous neuroinfections. They are intended for qualitative detection of specific IgG / IgM antibodies against TBEV antigens and at the same time against antigens of Borrelia afzelii, garinii and burgdorferi sensu stricto. These confirmatory tests are intended to confirm the results of ELISA tests in serological diagnosis.

ELISA-VIDITEST uses 96-well microtiter plates, still MONO-VIDITEST cassette format. All testing and evaluation takes place automatically in combination with our VIDIMAT analyzer. LIA-VIDITEST must use only recombinant and native antigens at well-defined positions on the nitrocellulose strips. The testing process can be achieved on RoboBlot, BeeBlot and B-20 devices. We provide VidiScan software for automatic evaluation of results.

TBEV is standardly divided into 3 subtypes (European, Siberian and Far Eastern), based on phylogenetic analyzes. Each subtype is associated with a different severity of the disease. The vector for European strains is the tick Ixodes ricinus, for Far Eastern and Siberian strains it is Ixodes persuculatus. TBEV is a flavivirus. These are enveloped viruses with an average size of about 50 nm, icosahedral symmetry and single-stranded RNA. Structural proteins are involved in the packaging of the viral genome and the formation of new viral particles, non-structural proteins are involved in genome replication and regulation of the host's antiviral response.

Tick-borne encephalitis (KE) is the most common neuroinfection. Its occurrence is linked to endemic areas. It is a seasonal disease in the period from April to November. In total, there are 10,000 - 15,000 clinical cases per year in Europe. KE is mainly a disease of adults, more often men (63%). The share of children and adolescents in morbidity is up to 16%. The reservoir of tick-borne encephalitis is smaller rodents, transmission to humans is most often carried out by ticks, but transmission can also occur through contaminated, poorly treated cow's or goat's milk. The disease is characterized by its two-phase course, in which non-specific flu-like symptoms first appear and then a few days later neurological symptoms may develop.

The infection in humans takes place in two phases. The presence of specific immunoglobulins of the IgM and IgG class is detectable in the serum only at the onset of the second phase of the disease. IgM antibodies are reported in 92% of patients in serum and 87% of IgG antibodies in 87% of patients. IgM antibodies can be detected at the beginning of the neural phase of the disease, reaching the highest levels after 2-6 weeks. They usually last for 10 months. IgG reaches its highest values ​​after 6 months. They persist for several years. The infection provides lifelong immunity.