This scientific dissertation—a series of published studies forming my habilitation thesis—evaluated different methods for assessing human risk of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) across Poland. Because humans are accidental hosts in the TBE virus cycle, accurate risk mapping requires understanding complex interactions between ecological factors, human behavior, and health system performance.
My research first evaluated routine physician notifications, revealing that significant gaps in diagnostic availability and differing levels of physician awareness led to underreporting and hidden endemic foci—most strikingly illustrated by a 7-fold difference in reported incidence across the Polish-Czech border despite identical environmental conditions. To address these limitations, I investigated alternative data sources, finding that while testing field-collected ticks for the virus was costly and failed to correlate with human disease risk, serological testing of free-grazing goat herds proved highly effective at uncovering previously unknown endemic areas. Finally, a nationwide case-control study identified key individual risk factors, showing that recreational visits, collecting forest foods in mixed woods, and lower socio-economic status significantly influenced infection risk depending on the endemic status of the region.
I defended this dissertation and received my habilitation degree in 2018. The habilitation is a post-doctoral qualification awarded in Poland and several other Central European countries, granting scientists the academic authority to lead independent research groups and direct university degree programs.