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Objective: Analysis of cases acknowledged in the Epidemiological information system in the period 2011-2010 with the diagnosis of tick-borne encephalitis A84.1, according to representation of occupations. Materials and Methods: A group of 699 patients acknowledged in the period of 2001-2010 with the diagnosis of tick-borne encephalitis. Results: In the pre-productive age (up to 14 years of age) and post-productive age (above 60 years of age) a total of 172 patients were acknowledged. In the age group of 15-59 years 527 patients were acknowledged, 435 of them being economically active. In the observed period of time the occupational disease with the diagnosis of tick-borne encephalitis in Slovakia was acknowledged in 5 patients. From the data acknowledged in the Epidemiological information system 25 possible occupational exposures to increased risk of tick-borne encephalitis was identified as the occupational item. From these patients, identified according to data in the occupation item four cases were identified with an occupational exposure as a risk factor. This kind of record was present in the acknow- ledgement in two other patients with the unemployment characteristic in the occupation item. Conclusion: In a correct fill-out of the acknowledgement by the attending physician the primary information concerns possible occupational exposure to increased risk of tick--borne encephalitis which is already available in the EPIS data. The authors legitimately rationalize that in the EPIS database in Slovakia there could be also cases of tick-borne encephalitis of occupational origin, which were not acknowledged at the wars or clinic of occupational diseases and toxicology. More attention should therefore be given even in EPIS to the occurrence of selected infectious disease with possible causes of origin related to the working environment. In the specific case described here concerning tick-borne encephalitis the authors also draw attention to the importance of implementation of preventive measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In their paper, authors analyzed average direct and indirect costs on diagnostics and treatment of acute tick encephalitis in Slovakia in economically active hospitalized patients (52 cases). Average direct and indirect costs on a single patient during hospitalization due to the diagnosis of tick encephalitis were 1 353.95 EUR. Authors pointed at possible financial impact on employers when rewarding the occupational disease in comparison to the costs related to active prevention of employees using vaccination. Basic rates of point evaluation related to pain in occupational diseases due to tick encephalitis are currently from 30 to 150 points and from 300 to 3000 points for impaired social engagement. 1 point correlated to 14.46 EUR in 2009. It is more beneficial for the employer to cover vaccination of the employee from 18 years until retirement (269.40 EUR) instead of rewarding the pain at lower rates of 30 points (433.80 EUR). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]