Number of TBE cases in Austria explodes-vaccination call for everyone!

Number of TBE cases in Austria explodes-vaccination call for everyone!

In 2024, Austria experienced an alarming increase in cases of early summer meningoencephalitis (TBE), a potentially fatal viral infection that is transmitted by ticks. According to a report by the Austrian association of vaccine manufacturers, the number of hospitalized patients rose to 158 compared to 104 cases in the previous year. People over 50 years were particularly affected, and the statistics show that 64 percent of those affected come from this age group. The difficult courses, which could be partially prevented, made a vaccination campaign all the more important, as also * kosmo.at * carried out. Fortunately, there was no death in this period.

The transient nature of the TBE infections can be seen in the annual fluctuations in the number of cases that are also influenced by climatic and social factors. Rainer Gattringer, medical director at the Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, emphasizes the difficulty of assessing the actual number of infections, as many illnesses are mild and remain undetected. In Upper Austria in particular, 49 cases were registered, followed by Styria and Salzburg. Due to this situation, the vaccine manufacturer association calls on the population for active participation in the vaccination campaign and emphasizes how important regular vaccinations are, especially for risk groups.

discrepancy between cases and patient numbers

The transmission and analysis of health data is another challenge that often leads to misunderstandings. On * Reimbursement.Institute * it is explained that there is a big difference between the number of cases and the number of patients. An admission about the various concepts is crucial for the correct interpretation of health statistics. The term "case" refers to a treatment stay in the hospital, while a "patient" is the person who claims medical services.

The analyzed data relate to main diagnoses, but a single patient can generate several treatment cases in the course of a year, which can lead to incorrect interpretation that the number of cases also reflects the number of patients. This becomes particularly relevant if you look at the frequency of hospital stays and the associated health costs. In order to derive valid knowledge, these differences must be taken into account.