Author/Editor		Avšič-Županc, T; Poljak, M; Matičič, M; Radšel-Medvešček, A; Leduc, JW; Stiasny, K; Kunz, C; Heinz, FX
Title		Laboratory acquired tick-borne meningoencephalitis: characterisation of virus strains
Type		članek
Source		Clin Diagn Virol
Vol. and No.		Letnik 4
Publication year		1995
Volume		str. 51-9
Language		eng
Abstract		Background: The handling of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus is potentially hazardous, as indicated by a number of laboratory-acquired infections in the prevaccination era. Objectives: (1) To reemphasize the hazard of handling TBE virus without being vaccinated by describing the case of a laboratory-acquired full-blown TBE in a microbiologist who isolated the virus from a blood sample. (2) To molecularly characterize the causative virus stain isolated in Slovenia in comparison with the European prototype strain Neudoerfl. Study design: The virological diagnosis of the laboratory infection was established by serology and virus isolation. The virus was characterized by restriction fragment analysis of PCR products of amplified genomic sequences and a panel of monoclonal antibodies reacting with the major envelope protein. Results: The laboratory infection, most probably acquired by aerosol, resulted in a biphasic course of the disease with a severe meningoencephalitis in the second phase. Both by restriction fragment and monoclonal antibody analysis the Slovenian virus strains involved were indistinguishable from the European prototype strain. Conclusions: This report confirms the potential hazard of handling TBE virus in the laboratory without being vaccinated. The similarity of the virus isolates from Slovenia with the European prototype strain confirms the previously observed homogeneity of TBE virus strains from different European countries.
Descriptors		ENCEPHALITIS, TICK-BORNE ENCEPHALITIS VIRUSES, TICK-BORNE LABORATORY INFECTION ADULT POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION ENZYME-LINKED IMMUNOSORBENT ASSAY