TICK-BORNE ENCEPHALITIS IN RHINELAND-PALATINATE

In Germany, the federal states of Bavaria and Baden-Wuerttemberg are t he regions with the highest incidence of TEE. We report on two cases o f TEE from the Rhineland-Palatinate, a region that is not considered e ndemic for TEE. In lune of 1992, a young man who presented with mening itis after a tick bite acquired in our state was hospitalised. During the time of hospitalisation, the TEE titer was borderline. Th ree week s after discharge, the TBE-IgM titer turned positive. In June 1997, a woman with clinical signs of meningitis who had suffered a tick bite i n the Rhineland-Palatinate was admitted to our hospital. The cerebrosp inal fluid showed positive titers of TBE-IgG and TBE-IgM antibodies. W e conclude that one must consider the occurrence of individual cases o f TEE in the Rhineland-Palatinate although the risk is low.