TBE cases are increasing in Sweden and last year almost 600 people were infected.
– That’s a lot, especially considering that between 30 and 50 percent of these do not become completely healthy afterwards, says researcher Anna Överby Wernstedt.
First case in Västerbotten
Mio from Hörnefors is the first to get TBE after being infected in Västerbotten. He is now fighting to recover.
Most recover, but in a third the virus leads to inflammation in the brain, which can cause difficulty concentrating, headaches and confusion.
– We see no reduction in the number of cases. The ticks are spreading north and TBE is popping up in new areas, says Anna Överby Wernstedt.
Hope for a breakthrough in ten years
She and her research team are studying the way the TBE virus enters the brain and how the body’s defenses act. The goal is to be able to contribute to the development of drugs against the disease.
– We need to know how to alleviate the subsequent consequences of the infection, she says.