The document discusses the role of general practitioners (GPs) in preventing tick-borne meningoencephalitis. It notes that tick-borne diseases are endemic in Slovenia, with 153-532 new cases per year. While there is no specific treatment, vaccination can be effective. However, Slovenia's vaccination rate is only 10%, much lower than Austria's rate of 86-90%. The document argues that GPs can play an important role in prevention through advising on and offering immunization to patients. It concludes that GPs need to understand vaccination schedules and keep accurate immunization records.

1. The role of GP in prevention of
tick-borne meningoencephalitis
Professor Janko Kersnik, PhD, MSc, MD
FM Department
Medical School Ljubljana and Maribor
Primož Kušar, MSc, MD
Primary Health Care Centre Ljubljana

2. Aims of the presentation
 The importance of primary care approach in
primary prevention
 The role of family doctors
 Good practice

3. Burden of the disease
 Tick borne disease
 Endemic - The endemic
area spreads
 In Slovenia 153-532 new
cases per year - yearly
incidence 13/100,000, 3rd
place in Europe
 There isn’t any specific
treatment – effective
immunisation

4. Burden of the disease
 The disease is lethal in
approximately 1.2% of
cases and
 leaves 15-20% of its
survivors with
permanent neurological
damage
 10,000 patients in
Europe need hospital
treatment.

5. Slovenian case
 Immunisation rate in Slovenia is 10%
 Immunisation rate in children is even lover -
4%
 But the government claims quality care
provided by paediatricians and by public
health institutes
 What goes wrong?

6. Good practice from Austria
 Before 1981 prevalence same in Austria and
Slovenia
 In 1981 new campaign
 Immunisation rate raised from 6% in 1981 to
86-90% in 2001

7. What made a success story?
PATIENTS
MEDIA
GPs
HELATH POLICY

8. The role of a GP?
PRTEVENTION TREATMENT
 Immunisation advice  First contact with
 Patient motivation the patients
 Offering  Difficult diagnosis
immunisation  Follow up
 Keeping records on
immunisations

9. What do we have to know
about vaccination?
 Basic vaccination with three shuts
 Can be done simultaneously – different place
 First two shuts preferably during winter
months
 Serologically proven patients are immune to
next course of the disease

10. Conclusions