Country profile: Belgium. Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE)

Country profile
During 2000–2010, there were no TBE cases reported. TBE is not known to be endemic in Belgium. Despite having climatic and environmental conditions that are conducive to the circulation of the TBE virus, no autochthonous cases of TBE have ever been reported in Belgium.

Overview of TBE surveillance in Belgium 

Indicator

Description

Type of surveillance

Sentinel

Type of reporting

Voluntary

Type of data recorded

Case-based

Cases routinely reported

All cases

Case definition

N/A

Provision of surveillance data

N/A

Estimated sensitivity of surveillance

N/A

Reference laboratory

National Reference Laboratory for Vector-borne Diseases, Queen Astrid Military Hospital, Brussels

The data is published in the report 'Epidemiological situation of tick-borne encephalitis in the EU and EFTA'. The report was a first effort to collect existing data on TBE in EU/EFTA countries. The data, covering the period 2000–2010, were collected from different sources using different case definitions, time scales, and spatial units and do not reflect the complete picture and complexity of the epidemiology of this disease.