Treatment of TBE

Rehabilitation
A study of people who suffered health damage due to TBE yielded the following information:

- If the peripheral nervous system is also damaged by a TBE infection, then permanent damage is very often the result. - Neurophysiologic tests can prove that the nervous system is subclinically affected to an extensive degree. - It can take up to three years for TBE-resultant damage to heal. - Rehabilitation measures after TBE should be implemented as soon as possible. Improvement is possible in the first years, after which function-conserving treatment must be continued. In the event of paralysis, physical therapy/ergotherapy must be undergone regularly.

Therapy
Efficient follow-up is crucial after a TBE illness. For pronounced disabilities, in-patient rehabilitation with several therapy sessions per day should begin as soon as possible. Physical therapy can improve strength and mobility. Ergotherapy helps patients relearn the activities of daily life: dressing, personal hygiene, etc. During logopedic therapy, language and speech is practiced. Neuropsychologists treat patients whose mental capacity has been affected. After this intensive in-patient treatment, the respective required therapies must be continued at loose intervals for ongoing disabilities. In the long term, renewed intensive in-patient treatment is necessary in order for patients to retain their acquired capabilities or continue their improvement.
Information, the correct therapy and group discussions make a significant contribution to helping patients conquer their illness.

Hospitalisation – Hospital stays – Costs
The hospitalisation of a TBE patient can last from one week to up to 40 days. In rare cases even longer hospital stays have been reported (1, 2, 4 years).

What cannot be expressed in numbers is the human suffering of the affected patients and their families. Due to the severity of the illness, a complete disintegration of the patient’s social relationships can occur.