Studies on the ecology of tick-borne encephalitis virus in the Carpathian and Pannonian types of natural foci.

During the years 1972-1982, the role of Ixodes ricinus ticks was studied as vectors of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus in the Carpathian and Pannonian types of natural foci. The proportion of TBE virus-infected Ixodes ricinus ticks in the Carpathian elementary foci varied from 0.37 to 4.1 per cent, while in the Pannonic elementary foci it ranged from 0.07 to 6 per cent, respectively. TBE virus was isolated from organs of small rodents in both the Carpathian and Pannonian types of natural foci. A correlation was established between the percentage of infected ticks and the proportion of seropositive inhabitants.