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TICK
EXPERT TO SPEAK AT SPECIAL CONFERENCE ON DISEASE RISK FOR TRAVELLERS
One of
the world’s leading experts on tick disease will present the latest
findings on the growing infection risk for travellers at a conference to
highlight the advice travel health professionals should provide to
patients visiting Europe and parts of the UK.
Professor Michael Kunze, head of the ISW, a group of scientists
investigating Tick Borne Encephalitis (TBE) will speak at Tick Alert
2009, being held at the Royal College of Physicians on Friday 24 April.
TBE, which can cause meningitis and
is fatal in 1 in a 100 cases, resulted in 13,000 people needing hospital
treatment in
Europe
in 2007.
Other speakers include Wendy Fox, chair of BADA-UK, a Lyme disease
charity; the chair of the Royal College of Nursing Travel Health Forum,
Sandra Grieve; and Lynda Bramham, senior nurse advisor at MASTA, the
UK
’s biggest network of specialist travel health clinics.
Tick Alert 2009 will bring together
medical professionals, NHS representatives, occupational health experts,
travel health specialists and advisors to business, industry, public
services and outdoor interest groups to hear the latest views, research
and information on tick disease.
The conference is organised by Tick Alert, a campaign to raise awareness
of tick disease in the
UK
and
Europe
. For further details and registration visit
www.tickalert.org
- The
virus type is Western European TBE and is also
known as Central European Encephalitis.
- The
Foreign Office advises that visitors to TBE endemic regions seek
advice from their local surgery or clinic – well before travelling.
- TBE-infected
ticks are found typically in rural and forest areas from late spring
and throughout summer. At-risk groups include all visitors to rural
areas of endemic countries, particularly those participating in
outdoor activities such as trekking, hiking, climbing, cycling and
camping.
(17/3/09)
Tick
borne encephalitis
Tick
alert
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