New endemic foci of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) identified in districts where testing for TBE was not available before 2009 in Poland

Report from an investigation of 146 hospital wards which were offered free testing for tick-borne encephalitis (TBE). We documented that where the disease already exists (co-called "endemic regions"), physicians are more likely to suspect the disease and test for TBE antibodies. Physicians in regions thought to be disease free are less likely to suspect and refer for testing. This creates a kind of cognitive loop : the disease is absent because everybody think it's absent, not because it is really absent :)