Marano et al.
Perception of tick-borne encephalitis risk: a survey of travelers andtravel clinics from Canada, Germany, Sweden and the UK
J. Travel Med. 2018, in press, https://doi.org/10.1093/jtm/tay063
In a survey, the travelers’ awareness of TBE and advice-seeking attitudes was evaluated using an online-questionnaire among individuals (4375 of 29860 screened respondents) aged 18 to 65 years residing in Canada, Germany, Sweden and the UK and who travelled to an TBE endemic country. This sample was termed visit-risk sample. Among this sample, 375 respondents completed an additional online survey, and this sample was termed activity-risk sub-sample because they had reported to be engaged in pre-defined at-risk activities like hiking in forests.
Before travelling, most travelers from the visit-risk sample searched online information (26%), and only a few consulted family doctors or travel clinics (8% and 5% respectively). Only 14% of visit-risk sample travelers were aware that travel clinics offer travel vaccines and most of them (52%) did not even know about travel clinics. Only a third of visit-risk travelers were aware of TBE vaccines, and knowledge about TBE was generally poor.
Among the activity-risk-sample, only 14% of individuals had ever felt at risk of TBE on at least one trip, but 79% identified at least one correct TBE prevention measure like wearing long trousers or tucking trousers into socks. However, only 42% identified vaccination as a prevention measure and 15% had been vaccinated against TBE, and only a few adhered to the recommended vaccination schedule.
Among health care providers, only 58% agreed that TBE vaccination should be considered as a travel vaccine.
There is a need to increase awareness of the risk and prevention of TBE among travelers to TBE endemic countries.