Chapter 3: Transmission/Natural cycle

Abstract

The natural cycle of the TBE virus is dependent on vector ticks and reservoir hosts. There are differing transmission cycles in varying environments, from cold northern coniferous forests to temperate central European forests. Within a natural transmission cycle, there are different ways of transmission: tick-to-tick (transovarial, sexual), host-to-tick (viremic), and also tick-to-tick and host-to-host. The complexity of natural transmission cycles is inadequately explored and poorly understood.