Tick-borne encephalitis in mainland China.

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus is one of the most important flavivirus infections of the central nervous system in Europe and Russia, with 12,000 estimated human cases per year. At present, epidemiology is extensively analyzed in many regions of Europe and Russia, with less activity in east and southeast Asia. For China, surveillance on TBE is not institutionalized, and data are incomplete and not appropriately communicated. This review summarizes the current knowledge on TBE in China and shows that foci of the virus are mostly located in the northern part of China.