Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42347199›Full record

ArticlePathogens (Basel, Switzerland)2026

Underrecognized Tick-Borne Encephalitis in Serbia: Evidence from Patients with Suspected West Nile Virus Neuroinvasive Disease.

Dragana Mijatović, Ana Marija Radevska, Dejan Jakimovski, Lidija Popović-Dragonjić, Biljana Popovska Jovičić, Jagoda Gavrilović, Siniša Sević, Dajana Lendak, Irina Stojanac, Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz and 5 more

Abstract readMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Article in Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Dragana MijatovićDiagnostics and Laboratory Research Task Force, Balkan Association for Vector-Borne Diseases, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia.ORCID 0000-0003-4970-0748
Ana Marija RadevskaEpidemiology and Biostatistics Task Force, Balkan Association for Vector-Borne Diseases, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia.ORCID 0009-0000-7976-0237
Dejan JakimovskiClinical Medicine Task Force, Balkan Association for Vector-Borne Diseases, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia.ORCID 0000-0002-2178-7223
Lidija Popović-DragonjićClinical Medicine Task Force, Balkan Association for Vector-Borne Diseases, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia.ORCID 0000-0003-3294-9803
Biljana Popovska JovičićClinical Medicine Task Force, Balkan Association for Vector-Borne Diseases, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia.ORCID 0000-0001-9280-2251
Jagoda GavrilovićClinical Medicine Task Force, Balkan Association for Vector-Borne Diseases, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia.
Siniša SevićClinic for Infectious Diseases, University Clinical Center of Vojvodina, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia.
Dajana LendakClinic for Infectious Diseases, University Clinical Center of Vojvodina, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia.ORCID 0000-0003-4323-1776
Irina StojanacClinic for Neurology, University Clinical Center of Vojvodina, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia.ORCID 0009-0005-0504-7355
Alejandro Cabezas-CruzAnses, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, F-94700 Maisons-Alfort, France.ORCID 0000-0002-8660-730X
Andreas PilzVaccines, Antivirals, and Evidence Generation, Pfizer Biopharma, 2304 Vienna, Austria.ORCID 0000-0002-6394-3845
Tomás Cervantes RincónInstitute for Research in Biomedicine, Università della Svizzera Italiana, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-6355-6781
Jasmine Oberti-CantergianiInstitute for Research in Biomedicine, Università della Svizzera Italiana, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland.ORCID 0009-0007-7826-6924
Davide F RobbianiInstitute for Research in Biomedicine, Università della Svizzera Italiana, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0001-7379-3484
Pavle BanovićDiagnostics and Laboratory Research Task Force, Balkan Association for Vector-Borne Diseases, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia.ORCID 0000-0001-7902-6606

Funding

Provincial Secretariat for Science and Technological Development 003874431 2025 09418 003 000 000 001Swiss National Science Foundation 320030L_231465
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is an emerging vector-borne disease in Europe, but its epidemiology remains poorly defined in Serbia. In orthoflavivirus-endemic settings, diagnostic challenges may contribute to underrecognition of TBE, particularly among patients with suspected West Nile virus (WNV) infection. We conducted a multicenter retrospective study including patients hospitalized between 2018 and 2023 with suspected WNV neuroinvasive disease or viral encephalitis of unknown etiology. Serum samples were tested for TBEV-neutralizing antibodies using a microneutralization assay. Among 79 patients, TBEV-neutralizing antibodies were detected in four (5.1%). Most reactive cases occurred in patients initially classified as having suspected WNV-associated meningoencephalitis, while TBE had not been considered in the differential diagnosis at admission. These findings suggest that TBE may be underrecognized in Serbia and highlight the importance of confirmatory testing in orthoflavivirus-endemic settings. Strengthening clinical awareness and surveillance will be essential to better define the burden of TBE and inform prevention strategies.

Indexed as

Encephalitis, Tick-BorneEncephalitis Viruses, Tick-BorneWest Nile FeverWest Nile virusAdultAgedAntibodies, NeutralizingAntibodies, ViralFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesSerbiaAntibodies, NeutralizingAntibodies, Viralneuroinvasive diseaseneutralization assayorthoflavivirusSerbiaserologytick-borne encephalitis virusunderdiagnosisWest Nile virus

Identifiers

PMID42347199
PMCPMC13306198

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.