Publication details

Evaluating the need for standardised disease manifestation categories in patients infected with the tick-borne encephalitis virus: A Delphi panel

Authors

HALSBY Kate DOBLER Gerhard EASTON Ava KARELIS Guntis KRBKOVÁ Lenka KYNCL Jan SELLNER Johann STRLE Franc VEJE Malin ZAJKOWSKA Joanna ZAVADSKA Dace ANGULO Frederick J PILZ Andreas ERBER Wilhelm GABRIEL Meghan RUSSO Jon PRICE Mark MADHAVA Harish MEYDING-LAMADÉ Uta Katharina

Year of publication 2025
Type Article in Periodical
Magazine / Source Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases
MU Faculty or unit

Faculty of Medicine

Citation
web https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877959X24001249
Doi http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102431
Keywords Delphi panel; Tick-borne encephalitis; Categorisation; Disease severity
Description Categorization systems for tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) infection lack consistency in classifying disease severity. To evaluate the need for a standard, consensus-based categorisation system for TBEV infection across subtypes, we gathered an expert panel of clinicians and scientists with diverse expertise in TBEV infection. Consensus was sought using the Delphi technique, which consisted of 2 web-based survey questionnaires and a final, virtual, consensus-building exercise. Ten panellists representing 8 European countries participated in the Delphi exercise, with specialities in neurology, infectious disease, paediatrics, immunology, virology, and epidemiology. Panellists reached unanimous consensus on the need for a standardised, international categorisation system to capture both clinical presentation and severity of TBEV infection. Ideally, such a system should be feasible for use at bedside, be clear and easy to understand, and capture both the acute and follow-up phases of TBEV infection. Areas requiring further discussion were (1) the timepoints at which assessments should be made and (2) whether there should be a separate system for children. This Delphi panel study found that a critical gap persists in the absence of a feasible and practical classification system for TBEV infection. Specifically, the findings of our Delphi exercise highlight the need for the development of a user-friendly classification system that captures the acute and follow-up (i.e., outcome) phases of TBEV infection and optimally reflects both clinical presentation and severity. Development of a clinical categorisation system will enhance patient care and foster comparability among studies, thereby supporting treatment development, refining vaccine strategies, and fortifying public health surveillance.

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