Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a major public health threat in large areas of Central and Eastern Europe and in Russia. This review summarizes the current data on the interactions between the TBE virus and the host, with a particular focus on the mechanisms of neuronal injury, immune response and immunopathology in the central nervous system (CNS), and factors that determine the course and outcome of TBE. Novel trends of experimental therapy of TBE are discussed. Combining small molecule inhibitors targeting viral replication with immunomodulatury agents might be a way to maximize viral clearance and minimize immunopathology in the CNS during TBE.

History of Arbovirus Research in the Czech Republic