RSSE

The Russian spring-summer encephalitis which is caused by the RSSE virus (  Flavivirus , group B) has a mortality rate of up to 25–30 %. It is a complex of viruses with a wide geographical range from East Germany to Siberia and the Soviet Far East, and possibly into North China. It is mainly associated with the tick Ixodes persulcatus, but also with Haemaphysalis concinna and other tick species, and may also have other arthropod reservoirs. In endemic areas (such as in taiga forests), over 50 % of residents may have antibodies without showing symptoms, while newcomers to these areas more frequently exhibit clinical symptoms.