Tick-borne encephalitis from eating goat cheese in a mountain region of Austria

Heidemarie Holzmann; Stephan W Aberle; Karin Stiasny; Philipp Werner; Andreas Mischak; Bernhard Zainer; Markus Netzer; Stefan Koppi; Elmar Bechter; Franz X Heinz

doi:10.3201/eid1510.090743

Tick-borne encephalitis from eating goat cheese in a mountain region of Austria

Emerg Infect Dis. 2009 Oct;15(10):1671-3. doi: 10.3201/eid1510.090743.

Authors

Heidemarie Holzmann¹, Stephan W Aberle, Karin Stiasny, Philipp Werner, Andreas Mischak, Bernhard Zainer, Markus Netzer, Stefan Koppi, Elmar Bechter, Franz X Heinz

Affiliation

¹ Clinical Institute of Virology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. heidemarie.holzmann@meduniwien.ac.at

Abstract

We report transmission of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) in July 2008 through nonpasteurized goat milk to 6 humans and 4 domestic pigs in an alpine pasture 1,500 m above sea level. This outbreak indicates the emergence of ticks and TBEV at increasing altitudes in central Europe and the efficiency of oral transmission of TBEV.

MeSH terms

Adult
Aged
Animals
Austria / epidemiology
Cheese / virology*
Child
Disease Outbreaks
Encephalitis, Tick-Borne / epidemiology
Encephalitis, Tick-Borne / transmission*
Encephalitis, Tick-Borne / virology
Female
Goat Diseases / transmission
Goat Diseases / virology
Goats
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Milk / virology*
Swine
Swine Diseases / blood
Swine Diseases / immunology
Swine Diseases / transmission